Maktub
by Rieka De-Volka
Summary: To understand, they would need to be born again, and see that everything has been written already, in the shifting sands and the fallen stars. SheikLink. Not AU. Trust me.
1. Author Note, Part One

_(A/N) I like Sheik. I honestly do. I even like the fact he's actually Zelda… sometimes. Unfortunately, Zelda being Sheik does not go well with a yaoi fan girl such as I. So, here I go, torturing the poor Sheikah on Random's behalf. This has traces of shotakon, since both are under the age of eighteen, just letting you know._

_This is a one-shot. It was meant to be read all at once, but due policy regarding length, it had to be broken down in pieces._

_**The wonderful Jadedsilk was kind enough to beta this monster, all by herself. It's thanks to her you won't try to claw your eyes out because the spelling or grammar are so horrible. You can find her Zelda story at the title is "Somewhere I belong" and the penname "Lady Jade".**_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, in any of its different versions. I own, however, Navi's horrible bad timing, Lady Luck's absolute hatred for the boys, Sheik's Pro-Poe sentiment, Amy's mischievous stalking and any other remain of a plot you find here._

* * *

**Maktub.**

"**_They will not understand, because they weren't born in the desert, living on its whim. To understand, they would need to be born again, and see that everything has been written already, in the shifting sands and the fallen stars."_**

* * *

"_What is past is prologue."_

* * *

In the heart of the desert, far away from Hyrule, where not even the Gerudo would dare venture into, there existed a small white tent, where a woman took care of a child. A boy with blond hair and bright red eyes. A Sheikah.

Once, in the time that was but shouldn't have been, the Great White Shadow had reached the small tent, carrying with her a shy and scared girl. And the girl and the boy had become friends. He showed her the magic behind the music, and she told him stories of a world he would never see. And the Great White Shadow and the boy's Guardian would train together, growing stronger. Preparing for a battle the children shouldn't have to fight.

And it happened, in that time that was but shouldn't have been, that the boy had to die to save the girl, because she was important. He knew, so he gave his life willingly, only asking her one last request. Asking her to take good care of the golden harp his father had once made for him.

So the Princess made a vow, a vow made of tears and broken friendship, to make her friend's legacy live on, to make his magic help save the world. And she took his name and his garb, and left her protector when the Door of Time was opened, following the Hero that would save the world, aiding him with the secrets that the desert and a red eyed boy had taught her.

But in the end, the time that was but shouldn't have been, never was, and the land was safe, Hyrule was peaceful, and though the red eyed boy would never meet the golden haired Princess, he would live.

And he would meet the Hero instead.

* * *

"_No cause has he to say his doom is harsh, who's made the master of his destiny."_

* * *

"Sheik."

Crimson eyes looked up from the whispering sands, lips turning into a small smile. Walking at a leisure pace, the young man slid into the tent, looking at the resting woman, even as her broken body slowly withered to nothing, the aura of muted power and fallen glory still clung to her, her dignity untouched.

"You called, Mohair," He bowed respectfully, because even if she had no kingdom, no court and no allies left, she was a Queen, and worthy of respect.

"I will not last the night," Dark red eyes, almost purple, sharp and dim at the same time, fixed unblinkingly on the blonde child. The voice did not quiver, nor did it break over the news. It was a mere statement of fact, "You may leave to wherever you see fit, once I'm gone."

"Is there really anywhere I should go?" The Sheikah Musician wondered out loud, arching a golden eyebrow as his lips twitched upwards, hinting of an ill humored smile.

"The world is vast, you should see it for yourself, not only through your songs," The Fading Queen smirked, "Beautiful as they might be, they will never outdo what they were created to represent," Sheik frowned at her words, "And there's someone you should meet," Her eyes slid closed, as she shifted in the small cot, "Someone who has been missing you, who has been waiting a lifetime to see you again."

"No one but Impa knows we are here," Sheik mused out loud, surprised, "Who would want to see someone who doesn't exist?"

"Do as I say," The woman ordered, irritably, because as wise as he was, the blonde was annoyingly stubborn sometimes, "Humor the Dying Queen's last wish."

"Alright," The Musician gave a shrug, "It does not mean I will enjoy it, however."

"Never said you had to," The Queen gave him a mean smirk, "Now go, I need to silence myself."

Leaving with a barely perceptible roll of his eyes, the Shadow Child sat in front of the small fire, watching the stars, playing songs as old as time itself and wondering what he would find in the land of Hylians. _Someone who has been waiting a lifetime to see you again._ Sheik snorted.

"A forgotten Sheikah hidden in the farthest corner of the desert, yes, I'm sure Hylians are _lining up_ to meet me."

He forced himself not to shudder when wind struck the tent and the spirit of the last Sheikah Queen left it. He forced himself not to cry at the weight of loneliness. He forced himself to walk away from the funeral pyre. He forced himself to not look back.

He wondered if Impa still remembered him.

* * *

"_Such as we are made of, such we be."_

* * *

Link smiled at the Princess and the King as he bowed respectfully. He was older, not as old as he had once been in the time that was but should have never been, but close enough. Almost six years searching, six years of adventures, quests and heroic deeds… but Navi was still gone. He refused to give up, but Zelda knew he needed rest. He needed to be home. The King gave a long winded speech about home and family, his voice echoing through the walls, and it was through sheer iron will that the young Hero did not fall asleep on his feet listening to him. Zelda hid a grin behind her hand.

"A word with you, Hero," The Princess said after the audience with the King had ended and only the hall's guards remained.

"Sure, _Princess_," He called back, arching an eyebrow almost sardonically.

He knew she knew he hated when she called him that.

"Fine Link," Zelda gave him a fondly exasperated grin, "C'mon, it's been so long since you've been home, I want details on all those journeys!"

Impa watched from a balcony, as both teens sat on the courtyard, Link retelling the highlights of his past journeys while Zelda spiced the conversation with comments on boring court life, annoying the living daylights out of Impa and the guards with pranks and learning to control her magic and certain aspects of the Triforce as well.

They laughed and played, and the Shadow Sage felt her lip curl slightly.

It was time.

* * *

"_A consistent soul believes in destiny, a capricious one in chance."_

* * *

The Sheikah crossed the desert at a leisure pace, not particularly enjoying the biting winds and the needle sharp sting of sand, but not so eager to see the world beyond his childhood land. Sleeping in the sands without a tend proved to be trying to his patience, and the Din damned Poe that decided to stalk him was driving him insane, but he managed. He easily passed the fence to the Gerudo Fortress, yet some instinct told him it was best to stay hidden from the fierce warriors. They did not frighten him, but he didn't like what he saw. As a Shadow, he crossed their land, making no sound, leaving no trace behind.

He was almost out of their territory, having avoided their fortress-city successfully, and he prepared to cross the broken bridge that was supposed to take him… somewhere. The waterfall's noise bounced on the stone walls and created a booming echo that left the Sheikah's well trained ears buzzing.

"I thought you would never come," Startled by the mischievous voice behind him, he whirled around, blade at hand.

The Gerudo Queen looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Who are you?" Sheik narrowed his eyes; the woman had the aura of power that whispered about the infinite.

"One of those who waits," Her amber colored eyes glinted with amusement, and the Sheikah frowned slightly. He did not enjoy being laughed at when he didn't know why, "You should find the fairy, it would make things clearer for you."

"Why would I do that?" Tilting his head to the side, his bangs hid half of his face, the single eye visible glinting slightly.

"Because the Sage of Spirit, who gave you shelter in her desert, commands you so," Nabooru made an explaining movement with her hand that contradicted the peevish tone she spoke in. The red eyes narrowed and she grinned impishly, "That, and because I'm asking nicely."

"…This is insane," Crossing his arms over the crest painted on his stole, the Sheikah looked mildly annoyed as both of his eyebrows rose.

"Of course," The Gerudo gave him a smile that carried as much compassion as it did pity, "When Time is tampered with, nothing makes sense anymore."

"But a fairy?" He asked doubtfully, looking over at the fierce woman with something that bordered closely on disdain, "_What_ fairy?"

"One fairy," Nabooru smiled as her eyes narrowed, "_The_ fairy. Be creative."

And before he could ask further, she threw one of his own tricks at him; a flashing Deku nut, and she was gone.

Sheik wondered if all Hyrule was so insane… and where exactly would one find a fairy.

* * *

"_The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule..."_

* * *

"Oh, Epona!" Malon threw her arms around the mare's neck, hearing it snort softly, "It's been so long!"

Link watched as the redhead spoke quietly to his horse, the same way he did, and smiled. He didn't want to admit it, but being back to familiar lands was good. Being back home, as an official member of the Royal Family Guard was even better, since it meant he didn't have to deal with nosy soldiers, asking about this and that and whatnot. He went to sit under a tree, watching as Malon rode Epona, humming in delight.

He wanted to rest. _Needed_ to rest. His search for Navi had resulted in trips to various strange worlds, similar and yet so different to his own in many ways. He had given light and hope to many, and he had made many friends that would remain in his heart and memory forever.

But he couldn't find his first Guardian. His lonesome companion in the time that shouldn't have been but had. The worried ball of light that screamed in delight every time he made a suicide jump in a Temple, who cried out when danger came his way, who nagged him to eat and sleep when he was too deep into his journey to care, the one that summoned her friends to heal him. The one he could talk to and not feel ashamed.

"You always knew how to hide well," He mused with a wry smile as he looked at the sky, the sun was high in the sky, and the heat was lulling him into a drowsy state of mind.

"Link, Mr. Ingo made cheese, want-" Malon's eyes softened at the image before her.

The Hero looked like any other sixteen year old boy, sitting with his back against a tree, sleeping peacefully in the midday sun, his hair glinting under the warm light. Sword held in a loose grip, but close even in sleep, he finally allowed himself the comfort of feeling safe.

The redhead smiled.

* * *

"_Culture: the cry of men in face of their destiny."_

* * *

Perched on a fence, placed Din only knew why in front of the entrance to Gerudo Valley, a lone Sheikah registered the traveling bag that had been left behind by the strange woman. A map, a bow and a few arrows, some bread – at that, Sheik's mood lightened up considerably – and a note. "_Lie low until you figure things out. You are not who many think you are, but you are who you should be."_

"Is it a requirement to live in this lands to be completely raving mad?" The red eyed teen asked no one in particular, his mask balancing precariously on a knee as he took a bite of the bread.

It was at least two days old and leaning heavily on the spicy side.

Compared to months-old, rancid salted-meat and the occasional dried vegetable that had been his meals all his youth, Sheik was delighted. Eating little, however, as life in the desert had taught him to be moderated with meals and drinks, the blonde musician wondered where to go next. Before him, Hyrule Field spread and, according to the map the Gerudo had given him, he could visit the Hyrule Castle, or Kakariko Village, or the Kokiri Forest, or Lon-Lon Ranch, or Lake Hylia. _Lie low,_ the note said, and all but the last one were discarded. Sheik wanted to find Impa, knowing she would help him, but he wasn't sure heading into the main Hylian town would be wise. No, it would be better to gather information from afar, form a good plan and then try to contact her. She wasn't going anywhere, either, her duty bounded her to the Princess, and where the Princess was, Impa was sure to be.

Carefully wrapping the rest of the bread again, and placing it with the weapons in the small travel bag, the Sheikah slung it over his shoulder and began walking the path towards the lake, the grass whispering as his feet barely touched it. He moved gracefully, with the same elegance of the Shadows. That, however, was in his veins. The rocky land felt solid under his feet, so unlike the changing sands he was used to. It made him feel strange, home but not. An odd sensation brought a shiver to his spine, and the Sheikah frowned. Pausing for a moment, under the shade of a rock formation, he fixed his gaze on the field, and a memory that was his but wasn't his own overlapped the landscape.

_The grass was tainted red with blood, and Queen Mohair's corpse was lying unmoving in the distance. The Stalfos were closing in on them, with their rusted old swords and their macabre grins. The Princess screamed when her magic failed, her concentration broken by the horror of seeing one of her Guardians die. He didn't know what possessed him to do it, he only knew it was the right thing to do. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her whirling them. When the blade came, all he could do was let out a small hiss of breath, tears pooling in his eyes as he arched back. The point of the sword had pierced the Sheikah crest on his clothes, and for some reason, the image struck with him. Zelda's tearful blue eyes pleaded him not to leave her alone. But darkness was warm and welcoming, and there would be no more suffering there… only peace._

With a soft hiss, the young Sheikah stumbled against the rock wall, shivering. That had been so real, so vivid, he could almost feel the burn of the sword, the soothing embrace of death…

"Get a grip of yourself," He muttered out loud as he easily jumped the fences guarding lake Hylia from monsters – which surprisingly, had left him alone, but knowing his luck, he was sure it wouldn't last – and landing at the other side, he secured the bag over his shoulder again; "Not even a full week away from the desert and you're already acting like an insane Hylian. So much for Sheikah pride."

Further complaint was silenced as he took in the sheer beauty of the lake. The deep hue of the sky was easily rivaled by the flawless blue of the tranquil waters. They swung quietly, picturing exactly what serenity looked like. Sheik gave a mindless step forward, trying to get a better look at the waters-

And fell on the ground when he tripped over a suspicious looking torch holder.

"_Amy_," Hissing under his mask, the Sheikah sat and glared daggers at the torch, as it floated and ignited with green fire.

"Hehehehe!" The green Poe grinned cheekily at him, before giving a fast swirl, her torch leaving a trail of green light behind her. With one last laugh and a wink, the wicked Poe sister flashed away in a green flame.

Sheik was pretty sure a dignified Sheikah would never scoop so low as to childishly call after the damned ghost. So he didn't. Nevertheless, he snarled quietly at the empty space.

Huffing, and not even wanting to think of the mean things he was going to do to the wicked prankster next time he got a hold of her, the Sheikah stood up and dusted himself. Surveying the lake, he saw the various islands and the larger house by the shore. Arching an eyebrow at the structure of the chimney – because he wasn't entirely sure a thing could support itself like that on any world under Nayru's laws – he headed towards the door. Inside, the room was dim and there were strange fumes coming out from various jars and random strange, disturbing utensils in the table. At the far end of the room, there was sort of a pool and an old man was looking down at it. Shaking his head periodically, he seemed busy and irritated.

"Excuse me," His soft voice got lost under the rumbling of the equipment and the encapsulated waves in the pool at the back. Sheik cleared his throat and tried again, "Excuse me!"

Startled, the old man whirled around at Sheik and slowly walked to him.

"Ah, you're back, did you get it? Of course you got it," The old man grabbed his wrist, then pulled him towards the pool.

"What?"

"The golden scale! Can you see how they're getting rusted? Get them back! Quick, what are you waiting for!"

A slap in the back was the last thing the Sheikah was expecting.

Surfacing with a gasp, he glared daggers at the old man. He was oblivious.

"The keys, you incompetent brat! Get the keys!"

Diving more on reflex than anything else, Sheik lost a decade of his life when he saw the gigantic shark caged in a constricting niche at the wall of the pool. The bloodthirsty beast bared its teeth at him, in warning. He desperately tried not to think about the torn cloth stuck in them.

**_STUPID_** _Hylians!_

Seeing the copper keys in their ring exactly in the middle of the pool, he retrieved them and swam upwards in relief. The shark gave him the evil eye from the depths of its cage. Sheik was glad of having inherited his father's mask, the golden scale within it allowing him to breath underwater for short periods.

"Ah, good," The old man snatched the keys before the Sheikah had a chance to complaint.

Getting out of the water and not feeling particularly inclined to go in again, possibly ever, he opened his mouth to speak, and got hit in the face by a towel.

"Dry off! You're soaking the floor!" The old man gave him a mean glare, then returned to whatever he was doing.

Sheik's left eyebrow twitched.

* * *

"_Ill Fortune never crushed that man whom good fortune deceived not."_

* * *

Ruto sighed adoringly, making Link cringe inwardly, through he hid it well. He was playing the Ballad of the Wind Fish, upon the request of the King after hearing the story of their far relatives, the Oceanic Zoras and the tragic lovers, Mikau and Lulu.

"Delightful! Simply delightful!" The chubby royal squeaked as he clapped excitedly. A similar reaction spread like wild fire through the Zoras, and suddenly Link was assaulted with the memories of Termina.

Lulu had been heart broken when she learned Mikau was dead, but she had politely requested him to pose as him in the Carnival's concert. And he had agreed, to give the Zora guitarist a farewell ceremony with the songs he had loved the most. He had been so concentrated that he got lost in the music, but he was quickly brought back when the crowd went wild and started to cheer them.

It was still a frighteningly exciting experience.

Enjoying the feast with the Zora people, Link tried to forget about responsibility for a while. He knew, however, that the warm glow of glory always left a bitter taste afterwards, and he didn't indulge in it.

Navi had taught him that, at the very least.

* * *

"_Whatever limits us we call fate."_

* * *

Sheik learned that the old man didn't listen, simply ordered. While this had ticked him off at first, eventually, he figured out the man liked to talk. And much of what he said was useful in someway. He knew the legends, the old stories, as any decent Sheikah should, but he hadn't had the chance to look at Hyrule directly, to see the land itself and apply the knowledge. The old scientist had been a field researcher once, and in old age, he spoke of the world beyond the lake, the secrets he had discovered, some of the adventures he had, had.

So Sheik stayed.

He did the small chores, avoiding the bad temper and occasional complaint. Learned that stealth tactics worked magic on fishing, developed a life long aversion to octoroks, got thrown into the lake by Amy at least six times the first week, made friends with the owner of the fishing pond. He figured out the meaning of Mohair's tales, the songs he had been taught since birth, the legacy of his family; they were the hymns to the Spirits in the Temples, the Guardians of the land.

By playing his harp, he could almost hear the call of the other Temples, those beyond the field, in the heart of the forest, atop a mountain, in the land of death, back within the sands of the desert, at the stairs of time and in the very bottom of the lake. But he refused to go, because among the things he had learned, was the story of the unfortunate Allen, the rightful apprentice to the old man who gave him food and shelter, and whose tombstone sat alone in between the bridges.

After two weeks, the Sheikah didn't flinch anymore when the old man called him with an angry '_Allen!'_ nor did he get thrown into the lake so easily. It seemed his life had discarded one routine, the desert, for another one, the lake. Still, the woman's words bothered him. _Find the fairy, it would make things clearer for you._ Something was nagging in the edge of his consciousness and the previously idyllic lake had begun to feel constrictive. At least, the damn Poe had found something else to do, or someone else to torture, since it had been days since the mischievous laughter or the torch had been seen in the lake. And he had certainly mastered the bow technique, keeping the damn blue tektites in line.

One day, as he set order to a stack of parchments that had been sitting in absolute disarray on the old man's desk. They were notes, letters, documents, relics of his journeys, valuable pieces of information the Sheikah had read carefully. As he walked to the chest that would keep them safe from the humid atmosphere of the lab, the old man turned to him, a strange glint in his eyes. Recognition.

"I know you're not him. You can go when you feel ready."

Sheik did something very un-Sheikah then. Let the whole armful of papers he was holding fall to the ground. For a moment, his pride stung at being so easily surprised by the man. A second later, he tried to understand what he was saying, but he had moved on another topic already.

And he was being yelled at for being the most incompetent creature the Triad had ever allowed to live.

For the first time since he set foot into the strange house, the Sheikah didn't try to talk back.

* * *

"_Tempted fate will leave the loftiest star."_

* * *

Nabooru was, in Link's opinion, the second roughest Sage of them all. Right after Darunia, of course. He gave a slight squeak as the air was forcefully knocked from his lungs and he was easily lifted a foot off the ground.

"Kid! It's been so long!" Her delighted voice made him grin weakly, and as she let him down, she patted both of his shoulders a bit too hard.

"I know," He shrugged apologically, "Sorry."

"Nonsense," The Gerudo Queen waved dismissively, "I know you're busy working to save the world and whatnot. But really, stay the night, we'll have a feast for you!"

"But I don't want to be a bother!"

His slight protest fell on deaf ears.

"Oh, you're not a bother," Nabooru smiled widely, "You rarely come to visit us anymore…"

And before the Hylian could protest, the whole fortress knew about the idea, his stay and the banquet.

Link was suddenly remained that Gerudos were _female_ first, everything else last.

* * *

"_The thirst for adventure is the vent which Destiny offers; a war, a crusade, a gold mine, a new country, speak to the imagination and offer swing and play to the confined powers."_

* * *

Sheik had left the lake, its lab and its eccentric scientist. He played all his songs, and for the first time, he allowed the magic in the notes to drag him away, to become one with the breeze and cross the world within the whisper of a melody. He admired the wild beauty of the forest, the scorching heat of the volcano, the soothing waters of the lake that had housed him for a while, the quiet whispers of the graveyard, the glory of the desert as he had never seen and finally, the sheer holiness of time itself.

He knew countless other songs, but he dared not to play them, because something told him they were not of his world. And after he admired beauty and danger slumbering in the sacred Temples, as he felt the pulsing of power in them, he wondered again, where to find a fairy: not just any fairy, the one the Gerudo had told him about.

Sitting on the wood fence that separated the entrance to the Shadow Temple from the Graveyard in Kakariko, Sheik watched the sunset as he weighed his options. As the sun sank into the horizon, he noticed two finely decorated lanterns placed on the tombs at each side of the Royal Family's. The other lanterns around glowed and the Poes appeared and started to wreack havoc, laughing and gliding around. Sheik watched them. They were considerably smaller and less powerful than his – dare he called her that? – friend, Amy. Harmless really, if one kept to himself and didn't disturb their nightly dance.

But he was sure people were scared of the ghosts, like they were scared of anything they didn't understand, like the Sheikah. Mohair had never said it out loud, but she knew her people were feared, not respected. Because who was going to respect the tribe that hid in the Shadows and never came out freely? It was in their blood, to hide, to be secretive. Even away from his own, Sheik felt the strange need to hide, to stalk from a safe distance and observe, rather than to participate. Although he had felt safe at the lake, he didn't spend much time in the open, rather perched on the roof of the lab or on the tree, or somewhere he could get an advantage it attack became a necessity.

"Die!" A haughty yell broke his musings as a Poe flew towards him.

Dodging the attack was instinctual. Despite Amy's tries to discredit him, he was agile and accurate from birth, the damn green menace just had luck at catching him off guard. The Poe in front of him wasn't normal, it held a strange sharp wand, and was currently trying to stab him with it. Sheik dodged it almost absently, not interested in harming the spirit. After a while, the attack slowed until it finally stopped and the ghost hovered up, ending face to face with him. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you attack back?" The strange Poe asked after a moment, curious.

"It'd be pointless to," The red eyed male answered truthfully, "I have nothing to gain, I'm a musician, not a warrior. I don't look for fights if I can help it."

"Musician!" The Poe seemed content, but why, Sheik didn't know. He arched his eyebrows, "Perfect, simply perfect! Let me introduce myself! I'm Flat, of the Composer Brothers!"

"Sheik, of the Sheikah," The masked musician had never formally presented himself, much less to a Poe.

"My brother and I wrote beautiful songs for the Royal Family while we were alive, and at times of our deaths, we decided to stay back to guard them and the Tomb," The glowing eyes of the ghost seemed to brighten as he spoke, "However, it has been so long… tell me, Sheik of the Sheikah, do you have an instrument with which you could play a song for these ghostly ears?" Sheik awkwardly pulled out his harp, he felt slightly uncomfortable, since during the little attack, he had ended up perched atop the Royal Family Tomb. The Poe, Flat, looked delighted, "Play! Play for me! Play for the night!"

Shrugging at the odd request, but considering it less disturbing than the fact he had a Poe stalker, the Sheikah began an ancient hymn to Shadows, to the Sheikah lost deities and their way of life. It wasn't precisely a sad tune, but it had the lingering taste of a well orchestrated tragedy. As he played, Sheik thought of his home in the desert, of the late Queen he had been guarding, of the old man he had left behind in the lake, of a life he had to live, without a real purpose. The Gerudo's request was the only real obligation he had to the world, and it was slightly distressing to find he had nothing else to do. No other reason to live.

"A truly astounding artist, don't you believe, brother?"

Sheik blinked. He hadn't even realized he had finished the song, or that a new Poe, twin to Flat, had appeared.

"Indeed, his talents know no boundary," The new Poe made a bowing notion with his wand, and the glowing eyes light up strangely, "I am Sharp, one of the Composer Brothers, and your beautiful music has lured me out of sleep. Congratulations are in order I believe."

"Thank you," The Sheikah shrugged.

The Poes huddled together to speak of something Sheik didn't care about. He continued to absently play the harp, looking at the stars and the full moon, wondering about his purpose in life.

"You're an honorable creature," Flat-or-Sharp said with a flourish bow, "It would make us content to know someone like you shares our legacy."

He blinked, slightly taken aback by the strange praise.

"Will you listen and learn our song?" Sharp-or-Flat asked as the two ghosts floated in front of him, their lanterns glowing slightly.

"I'd be honored to," Sheik replied after a moment, figuring learning a new song was always good.

"Then listen carefully!"

"This is the secret melody of the Composing Brothers, The Song of Dusk!"

The made a strange whistling noise, but Sheik's well trained ears could pick up the notes with ease. It was truly a melancholic song, sad and heartbreaking, but incredibly beautiful. After listening to it the first time, he made two attempts until he was successful in repeating it.

The Poes seemed pleased.

"This is our lesser known work, it will be useful in your travels, you who are kind to the dead," Flat-or-Sharp said solemnly.

"When you play this song, Poes nearby will aid your quest, accepting simple orders and polite requests," Sharp-or-Flat explained with a wave of his wand, "Do not abuse the power of the song, though, because the undead are resentful and have good memory to hold grudges."

"When you find the time, come by and play some more for us."

And they were gone.

* * *

"_It is the awareness of unfulfilled desires which gives the individual the feeling that it has a mission and a destiny."_

* * *

"You should go back to the castle," Nabooru said suddenly, looking at the rolling dunes thoughtfully.

"What? Is something wrong?" Link turned to her seriously, face stern. She waved dismissively.

"No, no, I just have a feeling you're needed there," She winked playfully at him, "Call it feminine intuition."

"You're not just trying to get rid of me, right?"

"Link, Link, Link…" Nabooru laughed, "If I wanted to get rid of you, vultures would already be enjoying your carcass."

"Comforting," He shuddered at the mental image and received a snicker in answer.

"Don't be idle, if you hurry, you'll reach the castle tomorrow's evening."

* * *

"_Men at sometime are the masters of their fate."_

* * *

He had seen the Kokiri, and the fairy each child had, but realizing he couldn't just go and take one just like that, he understood the need to know which was just the one the Gerudo had referred to. There was a meadow in the forest, where a gigantic tree rested. It was dead, its trunk blackened and its leaves brown, but the aura of power still lingered in it. And the spirits of the forest gathered around the corpse of the tree more than anywhere else. He was careful to avoid the children as he went to the meadow and sat in front of the great tree. He wondered what to do.

"I'm a musician, not a warrior," He mused out loud, "Perhaps music will help me just this once?"

Taking out the golden harp carefully, he let his fingers trail over the strings, softly, the lulling song of Farore, the one that called to the spirits of life. Sheik looked at the fallen Guardian thoughtfully, his fingers playing deftly as the melody changed slowly. The trails of light, the small life forms that inhabited the forest, started glowing in tune with his music, and Sheik let a small smile appear as they sung along with him. Following their lead, he ended up playing an old folk song, the one the spirits in the forest liked the most.

The chorus of creatures grew higher, louder and suddenly, there was a flash of light pushing through the trunk of the dead tree.

"_Link!"_

The music stopped abruptly, and the birds and other living beings fled the clearing at the cry for help. Sitting back, Sheik tried to clear his mind from the sudden alien touch, the touch of a forest sprite. Perhaps even a fairy. Red eyes narrowed, the Sheikah stood up and turned towards the Kokiri village.

At least now he had a name for his search.

* * *

"_Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny."_

* * *

Link never really enjoyed staying at the castle, and when he did, much to Zelda's annoyance, he stayed in the stables. He hated the caging feeling of sleeping in a richly furnished room, of waking up to darkness, because the windows were closed and the sun didn't manage to enter completely. He hated the feeling he was missing the fresh morning air, or the first breeze, because he was stuck in a tower high above others.

It was something he was well aware the Princess would never understand, simply because she had never seen anything else. And when she had, in that horrible time that shouldn't have been but had, it had started to fade under the excitement of her life, her father, the love of her people.

That did not mean, however, that he enjoyed being woken by an insistent tugging at his hat.

"Come _on_," With a particularly strong tug, the green cloth was wrenched away from his head completely, causing him to fall back on the hay stack he had been sleeping, "_Li-ink!_"

Blinking as the light pink sprite stood up on his nose, Link arched an eyebrow.

"Morning Sien," He smiled lightly as the fairy crossed her tiny arms and flew back, annoyed.

"Morning? The sun was up _ages_ ago!" Circling him, she left a trail of pink dust behind her as her wings glowed, "Saria sent me to fetch you, c'mon! You're needed at the forest!"

The pink sprite was bossy, hyper and impatient. Pretty much like her guarded child. Grinning a bit, Link, having just recently reached sixteen, pulled over his tunics and leggings, and began dressing himself with ease until he felt the comfortable weight of his Gilded Sword and the Hylian Shield on his back.

At first, it had been awkward, left without the Master Sword and with just a Hylian Shield, but after the disaster in Termina, he had grown comfortable enough with them. And surprisingly, the magic in the sword enlarged it to fit him as he grew. Which meant he didn't have to go running around, getting a better sword. Which was always a plus.

"You're not going to yell at me too, are you?" Link mused with a grin as he patted Epona's powerful neck, and the mare simply neighed in reply, her hooves striking the ground in a rhythmic greeting.

"Link!"

"Going, going…"

* * *

"_We make our fortunes and we call them fate."_

* * *

"Maybe," Perching atop a bridge, and looking down at the curious children, Sheik arched an eyebrow, playing the start of a melody on his harp, "I find I like the graveyard and the forest best."

"Graveyard!" The girls squealed in fright, and the boys looked intrigued.

"Mhm, there are Poes and spiders there…" The red eyes were alight with amusement as he was mercilessly interrogated by the horde of children, "I like the desert too, miles and miles around of sand, sun and wind. I like this forest too, it's peaceful here."

"And you didn't get lost?" One of the twins asked, and both tilted their heads to the side.

"A Sheikah is never lost," He replied with just the faintest hint of a smirk, "Because a Sheikah is always lost."

That seemed to confuse them, so instead, he played a song for them. He played and they sang and danced, and Sheik felt good. Not lonely. He found he liked that. He enjoyed watching the children dance with their fairy companions swirling next to them, creating an image of true happiness, of innocent delight. He figured it was the Sheikah sense of duty in him that called fiercely to protect the friendly children and their peaceful way of life.

The music stopped when he heard the sound of hooves approaching. The children paused, then grew excited as the sound grew closer. From his perch, Sheik kept his harp and waited.

"Are you nervous?" Saria asked with a grin, balancing on her heels, "He is the Hero of Time, after all!"

She had been polite and helpful, offering to find Link for him, once he had revealed his presence to the Kokiri, but there was a certain amusement in her voice, similar to the one in the Gerudo's as she spoke to him. As if she knew something he didn't.

"All will be as it's supposed to be," He replied with a shrug, his left thumb playing with the bandages of his ring finger, a habit he had picked since he was a child, "It's best to not expect anything, and be prepared for everything."

"Always the poet, ne?" Green eyes amused, the small girl smiled with a strange wisdom.

But further reply was silenced by the arrival of the so called Hero of Time.

Sheik admitted he was impressed by the mare, a pureblooded beast that echoed the power of her owner perfectly. A horse worthy of a Hero, or perhaps a King. Red eyes narrowed on the Hero himself, and he felt himself torn at the impression. There was a familiar tugging to the boy and something else, some sort of harmony between them that he couldn't really put a finger on. Shrugging, he easily jumped from his perch, and by the slight change in the breeze, he knew the strange child had jumped with him.

He did not expect the reaction he got from the Hero, though.

"What are you doing here?" Sliding off the horse with an ease born from practice, the blond Hylian walked up to Saria and her Sheikah companion, brow furrowed, "Zelda, your father, no _Impa_'s going to kill when she finds out you snuck out of the castle," His voice flattened, "_Again_."

Arching both eyebrows, the red eyes glinted with a mixed amusement. This young man was certainly impressive. The whisper of power and the blessing of the Triad was in him, and his confident movements denoted he was a consummated and skilled warrior. He was, however, very obviously confusing him with someone else. That wasn't what was amusing. The fact he was claiming him Zelda, Princess of Destiny was.

Sheik wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh at the ridiculous notion, or wince at the blow at his male-ness.

"Impa hasn't seen to me since I was four," He replied, his soft voice carrying over the sudden silence in the forest, "And I can assure you quite honestly, I am _not_ Princess Zelda," He paused for a moment, "Pink does not suit my eyes."

The Hero was silent for a moment, almost taken aback.

"…Sheik?"

* * *

"_Fates leads the willing, and drags along the unwilling."_

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Sheik sat on Link's bed, arching an eyebrow and not amused anymore, "You're telling me you met me before, but not before, in fact, in another year, in an alternate time line in which Ganondorf won and you were sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years. Only that it wasn't me, it was actually Princess Zelda, who was being a tomboy and trying to help by supplanting me?"

"Yes," Link nodded, munching on an apple.

"This _is_ insane," The Sheikah muttered, and Saria laughed, her eyes dancing with mirth.

"Nabooru said you told her exactly that when she sent you here," She explained to the narrowed eyes; Link made a noise in the back of his throat, "You know? Tall, tanned woman? Gerudo?"

"Ah, her name was Nabooru?" Sheik shrugged, "Never had the chance to ask… or thank her."

Saria nodded, and silence stretched for a moment. The early afternoon sun beated down upon the forest outside, bathing everything in a golden glow.

"So," Link finally said, tilting his head to the side, "What now?"

"Go and see the Princess," Saria smiled, holding her hands together against her chest, "We Sages felt the shift in the currents of Destiny. We knew you were coming Sheik, you were expected."

_Someone who has been waiting a lifetime to see you._

* * *

"_Chance generally favors the prudent."_

* * *

"Want a ride?" Link asked easily as he climbed on Epona's back, Sheik shrugged.

"I have my own," He answered politely, still not quite fully at ease with the so called 'Hero'.

Sure, he _was_ a Hero, he simply didn't act like one. He was too kind, too open and too damn _curious_ about everything to be the Hero everyone said he was. He asked about his clothes, his mask, his turban, his eyes, his favorite food, he asked about him, as a person, an individual, not as a tool in a prophecy he was surely going to fulfill. Sheik figured being such an unconventional Hero helped to keep him alive, and admitted he had little right to comment on it, all things considered.

"You do?" Link blinked, then shrugged.

It was stupid of him to think Sheik didn't have his own horse, or at least hadn't rented one in Lon-Lon Ranch, it was just that he was confusing him with Zelda again. Zelda wasn't overly fond of horses, she was awful at riding them too. He broke from his little daze as Sheik pulled out his harp, playing a tranquil tune, the same one Link remembered from the meetings with Zelda at the entrance of the Temples. The notes echoed far, spreading like a soft whisper, and sure enough, there was neigh in the distance.

"I hadn't brought him into Hyrule Field yet," Red eyes shifted towards Link, "After all, I was merely looking around, now it seems he will be useful."

The black stallion trotted to them with an easy pace. It was adorned with white and blue clothes, the Sheikah crest on them, and it looked upbeat. Certainly more so than it's owner. The young man climbed on it with ease and patted its neck tenderly, he looked up to Link.

"Lead the way?"

His voice was soft as Link remembered, but there was a certain something Zelda didn't have. An edge, sometimes sarcastic, perhaps a bit too acid, but it was pleasant.

In a strange way, it reminded Link of Tatl.

"Um, follow me," And he was off.

A sideways glance proved the Sheikah was keeping up with him, through his style was certainly different from the Hero's. Somehow, Sheik leveled his weight so that the stallion could move freely, faster. Link found himself pondering all the differences while they rode towards the castle. Sheik seemed to like the silence, and he seemed thoughtful too. _Probably thinking of all that's going on,_ Link thought with a light shrug. He could still remember the confusion and slight fear of the unknown of that day, when Navi had met him the first time. How frighteningly exciting that morning had been, awoken by the long awaited for fairy, being summoned by the Forest Guardian.

_Navi._

* * *

"_Not without a shudder may the human hand reach into the mysterious urn of destiny."_

* * *

"We didn't say anything before," Zelda started as Link and Sheik stood before her, "Because we knew you would rush straight into things, Link, and this time, we need Sheik's assistance too," Sheik bowed slightly and Link nodded, though his brow was furrowed, "The seal on Ganondorf is weakening, we must recast the sealing spell."

"But the Sages are awake and aware this time," Link said as he tilted his head to the side, "It should be easier now, right?"

"Yes," Zelda smiled wryly, "In theory."

"Ganondorf still has the Triforce of Power in his hand, and as the seal weakens, his power leaks into our world, corrupting the land bit by bit," This time it was Impa who spoke, her darker voice coming from behind the Princess and startling Link a bit.

"But the Temples were purged when I first had to awake you," Link protested weakly, not really getting what they meant.

"Yet if I understand correctly," Sheik spoke finally, his voice hinting a shade of realization, "You purged the Temples when you were an adult, but then you closed the gap in time and the Temples, though in control of the Sages, were left untouched."

"Exactly," Zelda beamed at the red eyed Sheikah, although he looked away, not meeting her eyes.

"Then you mean I'm going to go through that mess all over again?" Link echoed with a hint of resignation in his tone.

"No, you _and_ Sheik will go through that mess together," Impa replied with a smirk, to which the younger Sheikah gave her a risen eyebrow, which she pointedly ignored.

"With two people, it should be easer to take down the traps in the Temples, and Sheik knows all the legends about them, he'll be able to help you. You'll need to fetch the spiritual stones from their hiding places, too, so we can open the Door of Time and reseal Ganondorf again," Zelda explained further, "That is, if you both agree to work together."

"Of course, Zelda," Link smiled, not liking the idea of going through the Temples again, but willing to help keeping Ganondorf away.

"It'd be a honor, milady," Sheik bowed respectfully, quietly accepting the mission.

At least it gave him something to do, other than wander aimlessly through the land.

"Good, good," Zelda smiled, pleased, "Now Sheik, what's this of a forest sprite you said you found?"

Link perked up considerably at that.

* * *

"_Nothing can have as its destination anything other than its origin."_

* * *

A hand patted his back, and Sheik looked up at Impa, smiling. The face mask and the turban were off, revealing the smooth features and the pierced earlobe.

"You look tense," The Shadow Sage mused as she leaned next to him on the balcony.

"I'm tired," He admitted, looking down at Hyrule Castle Town, the fading lights standing out the dark night, "And I'm worried."

"All will be as it's supposed to be," Impa said pragmatically, unknowingly repeating the words Sheik himself had told Saria the day before, "What troubles you?"

"I…" He heaved a sigh, letting his chin rest on his folded arms, "I wonder Impa, what can a musician do against the Dark Lord? How am I supposed to help the Hero of Time, if I couldn't even help _her_?"

"You can trust yourself," She started off with a snort, "And you can certainly try to make your Mother proud."

"She was not my mother," The red eyed male replied testily, back tensing considerably.

"She deserves respect for the sacrifices she made," Impa reasoned quietly, placing a hand on Sheik's shoulder trying to calm him down, "We all lost many things in that war, but we know it's for the best."

"Maybe," The red eyed young man shrugged, "I just hope we survive this whole affair."

"What? With your natural talent to get into trouble, and Link's to get out of it?" Impa smiled a devious smile, making Sheik glare slightly, "It's fate, I tell you."

There was silence.

"Well," He said finally, long after she was gone, "Then at least we know fate hates me."

* * *

"_Throw a lucky man into the sea, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth."_

* * *

"Four worlds," Link was muttering as he rode Epona, "Four worlds, and she was here the whole time!"

"Yes, but," Sheik offered with a shrug, "At least you know where she is now, and you did all those amusing things heroes do when they go save the world."

"You're enjoying this far too much," The young Hylian accused with a light glare. Sheik shrugged again.

"A bit of advice, for free," The Sheikah said as he caught up with him, his horse' stride matching Epona's with ease, "Get a sense of humor and stick to it, you'll live longer."

"Is that a fact?" Link wondered doubtfully, giving his companion a side look.

"Yes," Sheik snorted, "And look for the bright side. The Triad made life far too ironic for you to ignore it."

"Somehow," Link admitted as the huge entrance to the forest appeared in the distance, "I'm sure I don't want to know what taught you that particular lesson."

Sheik smiled behind the mask.

"Smart kid."

* * *

"_Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire."_

* * *

"They're still at it?" Saria asked sympathetically as the Sheikah sat down on the grass, looking irritated.

"If I hear her say '_Oh Link! You're so brave!'_ one more time…" He left the threat hanging as he glared off at the sky. Saria snickered as she sat down next to him.

"Hush you, they haven't seen each other in five years, he was busy saving other dimensions, worlds, whatever, and she was sealed into the trunk of a dead tree, of course they miss one another," She grinned impishly as she poked his arm teasingly, "And you can't kill him, Ganondorf called dibs on that."

"You know," The red eyed male mused with a risen eyebrow, "For someone who claims to be a Sage and his best friend, you have a morbid sense of humor."

"Nabooru's a bad influence," Saria gave as explanation, waving her hand dismissively, "Why, I'm sure her latest lewd joke managed to get _Rauru_ to blush."

"Eh?"

"Wanna hear it? It was about a horse and a Zora, when they-"

"_Enough information!_" Sheik yelped, eyes widening. Saria snickered as he screwed up his face with a groan, "Din damn it, now the mental image won't _leave_."

That was enough to have the Forest Sage laughing until she cried, leaving one sour looking Sheikah behind.

"So you're Sheik," A tiny voice asked behind him, and as he looked around, he found himself face to face with… a ball of light.

Although squinting his eyes, he could see the details of a small winged woman within the glow. Navi tilted her wings, giggling, then flew up back to Link, hovering around his head with practiced ease. Sheik arched an eyebrow.

"Isn't it hard to aim a bow with a fairy flying around?" He had been told, quite excitedly by one Princess of Hyrule, that Link was a dexterous archer, and the question seemed to be the first thing he could think of as he saw the pair that had once saved the world.

"I'll have you know I'm a great ally for those situations," Navi huffed indignated, and Link smiled indulgently, "Right Link?"

"She is," He admitted with a shrug, and offering a hand to Sheik as he pulled himself upwards, "She's awesome dodging the stray arrows too."

"Link!" Navi cried in outrage.

Although the mask was covering the smirk, Sheik was quite sure his eyes betrayed him, Link shrugged again.

"Got everything you need?" The Hero turned serious, and nodded to the Sheikah's travel bag, "We're knocking down Forest Temple today."

"Already?" Blinking, Sheik hadn't expect them to move so fast, but figured it was for the best, "I need to buy some arrows and check my blades, then I'm ready when you are."

They climbed down the tree house and went to the small shop across the pound. The children still stopped their games for a moment to look at them, but the initial excitement had faded somewhat. Sheik was grateful for small miracles. After paying from his arrows – the Sheikah actually blushed slightly when Link eyed his well kept bow – and checking his five knives were sharp, he found two that were in high need of maintenance, so they returned to Link's house. Sitting on the small bed, he sharpened them with care, under the scrutiny of the Hero of Time.

"That one is different from the rest," Link pointed out after a while, motioning for the blade in Sheik's hands, "Why?"

It was more of a hand sword than a dagger, with a sawed end and a flat sharp one. The handle was made of black rock, and a thin strap of what seemed cow hide wrapped itself around it, making it easier to grip. The butt of the blade was decorated with a small fossilized seashell. It was a fine piece of weaponry, and also, one of Sheik's most treasured items.

"It was a gift from a friend," He said after a moment, nearing the sawed end to his face to see if it was free from rust, "The rest are family heirloom."

"Ah," Link nodded, noticing the slight softening in the Sheikah's eyes and wondering about this friend, "Most of my items, I got them out of dungeons. Except my masks, those I got them helping people," His face lit up into a content smile, "You wouldn't believe the trouble one little mask can cost you," He patted his belt bag for emphasis, "Anyways, ready to go?"

"Step back," As Link did so, Sheik tried out a few moves with the hand blade, and noticed with satisfaction that it adapted well to him, "Are we walking? Or do you know the song to wrap us there?"

"You taught me it," Link said automatically, then kicked himself mentally at Sheik's risen eyebrow, "I mean, Zelda, she, you know when she was you, I mean-"

"I know," Red eyes rolled on their orbits in mild exasperation. It was still frustrating to be confused with the Princess' alter ego every once in a while, but at least it was slowly fading away, "Let's go, please?"

They played the song together, and as they were whisked away by the music, Sheik took a moment to realize they did sound beautiful together.

_It's fate, I tell you._

* * *

"_If you believe in fate, believe in it, at least, for your own good."_

* * *

Sheik paused for a moment, making a mental calculation of the jump he would need to do to get into the Temple. However, his musings were shattered when a strong arm wrapped around his waist, and he found himself hurled upwards by the Hero of Time. Eyes widening at the sudden movement, and letting out a small squeak, he glared at Link as they landed with ease.

"Don't _do_ that," He scowled slightly, dusting himself, "Or at least throw a bloody warning!"

"Will do next time," Link gave in easily, holding back the snicker, "C'mon, this Temple isn't so tricky."

Dodging the wolfos, which Sheik killed with two well placed arrows to the head, Link climbed the tree to get the key and then jumped down next to his companion. Except, he landed on his face. Sheik snickered.

"What do you call that?" He mused as he helped the Hero back to his feet, "The Facefault of Time?"

Dodging a half hearted attempt at being elbowed, Sheik snickered again.

"They're still here…" Link said in a whisper, as they entered the main chamber. Looking back at Sheik, he motioned him forward, slowly, "See if you can hit any of them before they run, if not, doesn't matter, we'll get them later."

As they ran forward, Sheik caught sight of the giggling Poes, the four ghosts hovering around the center of the room. He recognized Amy, with her green light and her wide eyes. There was Beth, with her blue flame and bored eyes, and right next to her, Jo, with her red fire and mischievous expression. At the very center, the largest Poe, Meg, with her stylish head set and her bright purple torch. Turning to Link, his eyes widened slightly as he saw the other ready his bow.

"No!" The yell scared the ghosts away, and taking their respective torches, they fled the room. Link spluttered as his arm was roughly pulled aside, making him miss the target completely.

"What's the matter with you?" He retorted angrily, twisting his shoulder back into place, "Never seen a ghost before, or something?"

"You're not supposed to kill those Poes," Sheik answered instead, voice hardened by determination.

"Of course I am! They're the enemy!" Link replied, throwing his arms up in the air, "I know this is new for you, but it's really simple, you come here, clear the enemies, kill the big source of trouble, get the Sage, or in this case, the medallion, move to the next Temple. It's tedious work, but someone has to do it."

"The Poes are the rightful Guardians of the Temple," Sheik replied, crossing his arms over his chest, "You're supposed to purge this place from Ganondorf's influence, not from the spirits that survive on its magic."

"Maybe," Link admitted after a moment, remembering not _all_ Poes were trying to get his head, "But if they attack, what do you expect me to do? Sit back and let them kill me?"

"If you took time to think before throwing head first into things, they wouldn't attack," Sheik replied with a roll of his eyes, "Watch, and keep that damned bow away."

Walking to the center of the room, he looked up at Link, then pulled out his harp, playing the song he had learned at the Graveyard, the Song of Dusk. The notes echoed in the Temple, the voices of the ageless ghosts in it answering to the call of music. Link watched stunned for a moment, as the four sisters returned, glowing softly and singing along the song. They whirled around Sheik, harmlessly.

"My friend and I haven't come to harm you," The Sheikah said quietly, pointing up to Link, who was still standing in the staircase. Four pairs of ghostly eyes turned to him, Beth and Jo floating up towards him, circling him, then giggling like children as they returned to the main floor, "We want to get rid of the Monster that's causing trouble, but we need your lights to do so."

Meg looked at him through narrowed eyes, circled him slowly, then laughed loudly. The three other sisters laughed too, and disappeared, leaving the four torches lit. Meg floated around the elevator, giggling.

"How did you do that?" Link asked after a moment, walking over to Sheik, newborn respect in his eyes.

"Secret of trade, I'm afraid," The Sheikah replied with a small, hidden smile, nodding towards the elevator, "C'mon, if I have it my way, we'll be back with Saria before nightfall."

They fit tightly in the lift, and both tried not to think about it as they squeezed against each other. Once in the basement, Link instructed Sheik which block they had to push to pass through, while he went inside to set the switches and get the keys.

"I'm not sure about this," The blue eyed Hero said after a moment, looking at the chained door in front of them, "I think we might need to get the Boss Key from upstairs."

"Meg?" Sheik turned to the bigger Poe, and she laughed again, waving one of her thin hands over the chains. They dissolved.

The short hallway, lined with the empty frames that decorated all the Forest Temple, was dim lit and somewhat forebodingly Shadowy. They entered the boss room, a wide circular space, with six large paintings hanging from the walls. The battleground was easy marked by the small fence around it. Sheik eyed the whole room distrustfully.

"You know," Link said after a moment, as they entered the underground gallery, and prepared for the battle, "I'm starting to wish you had been around the first time I went through this…"

"If wishes were horses," Sheik didn't get a chance to finish the old saying, as a horse's neigh echoed in the room. Meg whirled around and disappeared, "This isn't good."

Suddenly, a Shadow appeared in two portraits, a black horse and a rider, approaching them. Fast.

"No," Link agreed amiably as the portals opened and the Phantom appeared, "Not at all, ready?"

"Honestly?" The Sheikah called back as he jumped right, dodging a ball of magic, "No."

"Shame!" Link shot at the painting, hitting the horse and irritating the enemy into throwing a rain of attacks on them.

Sheik didn't answer. He was too busy trying to save his life to bother.

* * *

"_Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a part as it may please the master to assign you, for a long time or for a little as he may choose. And if he will you to take the part of a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, then may you act that part with grace! For to act well the part that is allotted to us, that indeed is ours to do, but to choose it is another's."_

* * *

"You know," Link mused as they looked up at the sky, "That was ridiculously easy."

"I knew you would say that," The Sheikah replied icily, "Considering the Din damned thing was too busy frying _me_ to pay attention to _you._"

"Exactly!" Link beamed at him, "You're so good dodging the attacks…"

"It's called survival instinct," Sheik glared at the content looking Link, left eyebrow twitching, "And don't fall asleep yet, we still have to finish off the other monsters in the Temple."

"But we already killed the boss!" Blue eyes looked up at him surprised, then he rolled his eyes, "Or are you telling me you decided to let me kill your pets?"

"Point number one, they're _not_ pets," There was a whole ice age hiding in that tone, "And point number two, since the boss is dead, the enemies inside will be weakened considerably."

"Sheik is right, Link," Navi chirped in, flying in front of the unamused Hylian, "Defeating the boss helps us keep the enemies in check and stop them from popping out of nowhere, but we must cleanse their filth from the Temple, it's what Saria would want."

"Fine, fine!" He stood up and dusted himself off, then glared at the placid looking Sheikah, "But you don't have to look so damned smug about it!"

Sheik snickered under his breath, and followed the sulking Hero of Time back into the Temple.


	2. Part Two

"_When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate."_

* * *

"It's still following us," Link said after a while, looking at his companion from the corner of his eye. Sheik remained impassive.

"So she is," He replied, careful to keep his eyes at the road, and not at the damned Poe hovering behind him.

"Does she go away, at all?" The Hero pressed again, curiously sparing a glance at the green ghost. She giggled when she caught his eye, and he quickly turned back to look at the horizon.

"Sometimes," Came the tentative response.

"Ah."

Epona and Vlaise, Sheik's stallion, walked easily together, no longer unnerved by the ghostly presence behind them. They weren't in a hurry to reach Death Mountain, simply willing to reach Kakariko before nightfall, so they could get some sleep in Impa's house. Link was still miffed at having to go through Forest Temple again even though they had successfully defeated the boss, and Sheik was still nursing a burn in his back, where one of the Phantom's attacks had hit him.

Navi slept blissfully within Link's cap, unaware of their antics.

The sun cast his last rays over the weary travelers, watching their slow progress towards Kakariko from behind the long strips of clouds. Unaware to them, the continuous laughter from their Poe companion kept other nasty creatures of the fields away. Despite Link's claims of Poes being weak, few creatures would directly attack one, particularly if it was a Sister.

"Kakariko's a Sheikah village, right?" Link mused after a long silence, the siluet of Death Mountain appearing in the distance, "Is it your home town?" Looking over at his silent companion, he noted the red eyes hardened.

"No," Came the terse reply, "I was born far away, beyond Desert Colossus."

"Really? I didn't know there were more Sheikah outside Hyrule," The green gaze fixed on him curiously, "In truth, the only Sheikah I've met are you and Impa."

"That's because there aren't any Sheikah outside Hyrule anymore," Vlaise neighed softly, sensing his master's distress, "Quite possibly, Impa and I are the very last of our kind."

"Um," Linked looked down at his hands, by the tone, it was clear the topic was off limits, "Sorry?"

"Not your fault," Voice softening, Sheik allowed his hair and his turban to hide his eyes from the curious Hylian, "No one's fault, really. It's the way of things."

"My parents died too," Link mused silently after a long moment, listening to their horses' hooves against the soft land, "In the big war, before the King arose and settled peace in Hyrule. That's how I ended up as a Kokiri, my mother begged the Great Deku Tree to keep me safe, and he agreed to raise me up as a normal forest child," He grinned wryly, "Plus the random egomaniac, power hungry Gerudo, Princess of Destiny, Triforce, time travel, parallel dimensions, possessed masks, yeah, I loved my childhood."

"Desert to the left, desert to the right, a bit of sand in every meal, music in the mornings, boring history in the evenings, fighting training at night and Mohair's complaints at every spare moment in between," The Sheikah threw back with amusement, "Oh yes, we certainly had picturesque childhoods, didn't we?"

"Yep, Ganondorf hasn't got a chance," Link agreed with a snicker, "At least if he's up against your wit."

"Are you complaining, Hylian?" Tilting his head upwards in a decidedly aristocratic manner, the young Sheikah snorted, challengingly.

"Maybe," Grinning impishly, the blue eyed, green clothed teen tilted his chin upwards too, "Are you planning to do anything about it, Sheikah?"

"Yes," And digging his heels on Vlaise's sides, Sheik took off towards Kakariko, "Beat you in your own game!"

"Hey!"

It didn't take long before Epona was struggling to catch the powerful stallion, and though Link sounded indignant, he was laughing at the thrill of the race. Amy stopped following and simply watched them from atop a hill, green flame merrily dancing in her torch. After a long moment, she whirled around with a giggle, disappearing into the night. Navi was rudely awoken by the shaking of the race, and holding onto Link's hair desperately, she gave a high pitched scream. Despite his best efforts, and Epona's great speed, Sheik arrived to the stairs first, aside from the fact he jumped the river instead of using the bridge. As Vlaise swirled his tail, content with the knowledge he had pleased his master, Link gave the Sheikah a dark look.

"That doesn't count, you took off first," Was the first thing he said as soon as they were within hearing distance. Sheik's eyes glinted with unrestrained amusement.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell the world their Hero is in truth," He paused, letting the flat words sink for effect, then, "A sore loser."

"Am not!"

"And childish to boot, too."

"Hey!"

"Could you two stop it already!" The shaken fairy called over them, glowing angrily, "Some of us, responsible, innocent by standers are trying to actually _sleep!_"

"Sorry Navi."

"I'm sorry."

"_Hn!_" And the little ball of blue light went to hide under Link's hat again.

"This isn't over," The Hero of Time warned as he let Epona loose in the field.

"Not even close," The Sheikah agreed as he clicked his tongue, allowing Vlaise to follow the mare.

"Just so you know," The blond Hylian continued as they climbed the steps, "I can easily win if we do things fair and square."

"Of course."

"And we _are_ having a rematch, in Lon-Lon Ranch, after this mess is over," Link looked back at the ever calm Sheikah, blue eyes narrowing slightly, "Just letting you know."

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Red eyes glinted back in amusement, as Sheik walked in step with him.

"You better."

They passed the night guard and went straight for Impa's house, Link determinate to get a good night sleep before dealing with the bothersome annoyance… and perhaps the Fire Temple too. Climbing the small wooden staircase, and in Sheik's case, trying to ignore the caged cow – _Hylian's are _insane – they sat at the small table. Link's eyes widened as the Sheikah started to unbind his turban, taking off the mask too.

"What?" Shaking his head slightly, and feeling his hair spike up a bit, the blond Sheikah arched an eyebrow, noting Link was staring at him.

"Nothing, just…" The Hylian shrugged, taking in the two earrings in the left lobe, the shoulder length blond hair, spiky and reckless, held back in a precarious pony tail, the amused red eyes and the smirking mouth, "You're real," He said a bit breathlessly, shrugging.

"You know," Resting his chin on a hand, Sheik let his lips curve into an amused smirk, eyes glinting, "I don't know if I should feel pleased or insulted over this, or if I should be going through an identity crisis."

"Dunno," Link laughed a bit, shrugging, "I'm annoying you with it, aren't I?"

"Sometimes," Sheik admitted, then smiled lightly, "Doesn't matter, really, I know you aren't doing it on purpose… right?" The mischievous glint was back, full force.

"Of course not," Link crossed his arms stubbornly, "It's just that Sheik, I mean, Zelda's Sheik was very important for me at that time. You're confusing, that's all."

"I see," Reaching for his bag so he didn't have to meet the blue eyes, Sheik pulled out the last remains of food he carried there, "I have an apple and some dried meat, anything you want to share for dinner?"

Gladly taking the change of topic, Link placed his belt on the table, searching the enchanted pockets for his provisions. He pulled out the three full bottles and a small brown package.

"Well, I have a bottle of milk, a red potion for the burn in your back," Sheik seemed surprised Link had noticed at all, "Half a loaf of bread and, er…" He swirled the contents of the last bottle with a doubtful look on his face, "I think this' a Big Poe I was supposed to sell to the wacko guard in the castle, but I'm not sure."

"Do I even want to know?" Came the wondering response.

"Not really."

They ate in a peaceful silence, periodically listening to Navi's soft snores and light cries in her sleep as she fought off an unknown evil. They didn't make much fuss about sharing a bed, in truth far too tired to argue over it. Link easily took the green tunic off, sat back and watched a very annoyed Sheikah wrestling with ropes of white cloth.

"Isn't it a bit complicated to get in and out of that thing daily?" The chest bandages finally came off, and the short white top slid off with ease.

"Practice," Was the only answer, as Sheik folded the cloth carefully, "You have been to the Haunted Wasteland, you know the winds there."

Five minutes later, Sheik managed to sneak out of the tightly fitting shirt, sitting down on the bedding with a contented sigh. Link very pointedly looked him in the eye, forcing himself away from the strangeness of seeing his skin.

"Where are we going from here?" Lying down, he turned to the Hero, arching both eyebrows in question.

"I was planning to go to Death Mountain from here, see Darunia, get the Spiritual Stone, knock the Fire Temple, you know, do the whole mountain trail," Link folded his arms behind his head as he looked at the ceiling, "You don't happen to know a song for fire spirits, do you?" Blue eyes looked resignedly over at Sheik, who shook his head, amused, "Thought so, you're going to need a Goron tunic, too, don't think you'd look good roasted… but maybe with a bit of sauce..." Sheik smiled.

"Not really, no," He frowned, "But why don't we beat the Shadow Temple first? It's closer, and from what the legend says, shorter."

Link paled.

"Er, yes, but…" He snuggled under the covers, refusing to meet the red eyes he could feel on himself, "I mean, it's a very taxing Temple, magic wise, and I want to see if the Great Fairy would give me an upgrade before we get into it," He knew he was lying and he knew Sheik knew he was. Link winced and curled to the wall, giving his back to the Sheikah.

"I see," Arms wrapped around him, pulling him against the teasing Sheikah, "You don't like ghosts much, do you?"

"No!" Twisting around, Link tried to glare at the other, blushing lightly at their closeness as he pulled back a bit, "I mean, I rather we do things in order, it's not like I'm… I'm not afraid."

"Never said you were," Folding an arm against the pillow, Sheik arched an eyebrow, smiling benevolently, his free arm still curled slightly over the Hylian's shoulder, "No one in his right mind would dare to think you of all people as a coward, so don't worry about it."

"I'm not afraid," Link repeated with more force, though he didn't try to get out of the loose embrace anymore.

"I know."

* * *

"_The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, 'I shall today be uppermost'?"_

* * *

The morning greeted Link alone. Sheik's bag was still on the table, but there was no trace of either of his companions in the house. Dressing quietly, he placed his belt on and wandered outside, looking for his friends. Greeting the few early rising villagers, he was directed to the graveyard, to his small dismay. Upon entering, he immediately caught sight of Sheik, sitting atop the Royal Tombstone, playing the harp for an audience of Poes. _What's with Sheik and Poes? Unholy alliance or something?_ Stifling his usual response to ghosts, Link walked quietly towards the playing Sheikah, calming slightly under the influence of the soothing music. Navi floated towards him, laughing merrily.

"Morning Link!" The blue sprite circled him, before taking her usual perch on top of his hat.

"Hey Navi, Sheik," The music stopped as the Sheikah turned to look at him, though the turban and the mask were on again, and Link sweatdroped when the Poes glared at him.

"Good morning," Came the soft reply, hiding the harp somewhere in the folds of his clothes, though Link had no idea _where_, Sheik jumped down his perch to greet him, "Another time, I'm afraid," He told the ghosts as he looked at them almost absent mindedly.

They laughed their horrible laughs and disappeared without a trace. Link shivered slightly.

"I really, really don't like Poes," He muttered as they walked back to Impa's home.

Sheik said nothing.

The trail to the mountain was silent, and as yet another sign of Ganondorf's growing influence, tektites attacked them and made every step into a battle, rolling rocks coming down from the crater. Link breathed in relief as the entrance to Goron City appeared between the rocks. He gave a surprised yelp as a red tektite snuck on him and landed before him, but he didn't have much chance to attack it, as it collapsed under the strain of two well placed arrows. Which had breezed by Link so close he had felt the edge of their feathers.

"Remind me to never, ever piss you off when you have a bow at hand," The young Hero said honestly, causing his Sheikah companion to snort, "Let's go, time to get myself pounded."

If Sheik wondered on Link's words, he said nothing, instead following his companion into the city. Watching the Hero go for the stairs, he walked to wards the wooden beams that reached out from the ground towards the center platform. Standing at the very edge, he watched as Link finally came out from the stairs, at the lowest level. Behind his mask, he smirked.

"Sheik?" Link turned around, surprised to find his companion was missing.

There was a shift of air, and he looked upwards, only to find said companion jumping down towards him. Landing with ease, Sheik cracked his neck, turning over to the now scowling Hero of Time.

"Show off," Was the muttered comment as the blonde Hylian walked towards Darunia's chambers.

Sheik shrugged and bit back a snicker. Which turned out into an amused smirk as Darunia pounded Link enthusiastically. Standing back, he watched the scene quietly, not for the first time, feeling like an intruder. The large Goron pounded his chest, excited.

"I don't know if the dragon's alive already, but we've been hearing the growls coming from the Temple," Looking seriously at both, he frowned, "Don't get over confident, Brother, even with help, the Temples are still a danger, don't forget what happened last time in-"

"I _know_!"

It was the closest to a complaint the Sheikah had ever heard from the Hero of Time, and though Darunia looked slightly taken aback, he let it slide. Sheik wondered what had happened to make the Hero of Time so defensive. Darunia shrugged.

"Alright, I gather you're going with him, Sheikah?" It took a moment for Sheik to realize he was being addressed, before he nodded, "Good, there isn't much I can do to help you get through the Temple, but I can at least give you these," He offered each of them a red cloth, "Consider them a good luck gift."

"Thank you," Sheik replied, feeling the strangely smooth fabric with his fingers, and he nodded again.

"We'll be back real soon, Darunia," Link said, back to his usual even voice, anger forgotten, "So you better get us somewhere to rest the night, eh, Big Brother?"

Darunia laughed good naturedly, nodding as he step aside. The rock statute behind him trembled, then slid forward, revealing a secret passage. Sheik arched an eyebrow as Link took off his Kokiri tunic, made it a ball and stuffed it carelessly into one of the enchanted pockets of his belt, before messily getting the new tunic on. The Sheikah rolled his eyes. Unfolding his own Goron Tunic, he slid it on, careful not to catch the turban or his mask in it, and shrugged his shoulders to test his movements. It was good cloth, it fitted him well and allowed him to move with ease, though it would take him a few moments to get used to the feeling of the sleeves.

"Go on, I'll be waiting here," Darunia said as he patted their backs, and both blondes stumbled forward the small passage by the force of the apparently _gentle_ blow.

Sheik tried not to think of being snapped into two by an angry Goron.

This time, he actually saw the gap before Link pulled out the hookshot, and he jumped it before he could be hurled away. Balancing on his heels, he waited for his companion to catch up with him, smirking lightly at the death glare he got for his efforts. As Link reached him, he turned around to look at the crater. It hadn't changed much since he had last been here, in his explorations of the land and his songs. But even if it seemed untouched by evil, there were Shadows, traces and plays of light only Sheikah would see, would understand.

"The beast is alive," He read the echo, unconsciously, and caused the Hero to stop in his tracks.

"What did you say?" Link looked at Sheik oddly, but the Sheikah was staring at the lava pits, brow furrowed.

"Nothing," Red eyes met green steadily, challenging him to question, "Let's go, you promised Darunia we would finish this thing quickly," Turning towards the entrance of the Temple, which was blocked by a few boulders, the Sheikah looked sideways at Link with a risen eyebrow.

"Step aside, this will do," Planting a bomb in the center, Link motioned his companion back, and they winced together as the explosion cleared the entrance, "Coming?"

"Afraid so," Sheik gave an exaggerated sigh, then followed Link down the stairs.

* * *

"_Karma has an impeccable timing and a very underestimated sense of humor."_

* * *

"Where did you get that?"

"Where did you get that?"

It was the first thing they said as they met again. They had decided to split up and beat the Temple separately, so as to cover more rooms in less time. However, as they met again, they were surprised to see a weapon in each other's hand. Link had the Megaton Hammer loosely held in his right hand, balancing his body slightly so as to not be thrown to the side by the weight of the weapon. Sheik had a black metallic whip in his hands, which he had just used to get rid of the Keese in the room.

"Octagonal room in the last floor," Link answered first, and he waved the hammer with both hands, grinning wickedly, "You?"

"Inside a gigantic Like Like," Sheik replied evenly, whirling the whip until it was curled in his hand, his eyes glinted, "Or, rather, from the hands of a gruesome half eaten fallen Hero that was being digested by one."

He was awarded by a green looking grimace from the Hero of Time, Sheik snickered silently.

"You know," Link said as they walked down the stairs and he prepared to knock away the statue that guarded the last locked door, "I could have lived," A hit of the hammer, the feet of the statue were reduced to dust, "The rest of my pathetic," _Bang_, "Warped" _Bang_, "Existence without _that_," The head slid and hit the stairs, disappearing, "Particular mental image torturing me. Thank you ever so much."

Sheik walked past Link, using the remaining small key and holding the door open for his companion, eyes glinting wickedly.

"Any time."

He snorted loudly as Link turned green: the next room housed four hungry looking Like Likes.

* * *

"_Chance is the providence of adventurers."_

* * *

"Sheik?" The tentative voice echoed through the chamber as the ground shook and flames erupted around them.

"In a minute, Link," The red eyed teen waved dismissively, watching the patterns in the ceiling and noticing they matched the ones in the small island they were standing into.

"I don't _have_ a minute!" Came the half squeak, as the feared fire dragon erupted from the floor, curling around the ceiling, entering one of those cracks and appearing from another, throwing rocks at them.

"Not now!" Sheik shot back, slightly annoyed as he watched the creature glared evilly at Link.

"Is this some kind of pay back for the Forest Temple?" Link mused after a moment, dodging the terrible tail whip.

"No, but now that you mention it," Sheik grinned, side stepped a random flaming rock, then gave a step back as Link landed in an undignified heap at his feet.

"Are you planning to help at all?"

"Watch," Sheik pointed to the bone structure that protected Volvagia's tail as it sank into the lava pits, "It's going to come out from there, get ready to hit it."

Link nodded and readied his hammer as indeed, the shower of lava that announced the dragon's presence appeared in the hole Sheik had pointed to. The dragon whipped its head, preparing to let loose a blast of fire, but as the red eyed musician dodged the flames in its back, he wrapped the whip around the dragon's neck, cutting off the fire blast before it could harm Link. Seeing his chance, the Hero of Time delivered a deadly blow with the hammer. Both flinched when they heard the sick crack of bone, and as Sheik loosened his grip and Link took a step back, the enraged beast howled angrily, flying over them.

"Think you can shoot an arrow into the cracked skull?" Sheik called as they dodged the falling rocks.

"With a bit of luck," Link replied, then hissed as a rock hit his shoulder. By the twist and the flash of pain, he knew it was dislocated, "Or maybe not."

"Distract it!" Sheik growled back, grunting as the front of the Goron Tunic got torn.

"How?" Their eyes widened as the tail reached for them, but they managed to move out of the way more or less gracefully.

"Don't know! Do one of those annoying heroic deeds that piss off demons so much!"

"Hey!"

Apparently, yelling his indignation counted. Volvagia roared at him, black blood oozing from the crack in it's skull, making its eyes glow eerily. Closing his jaws tightly, the fire dragon charged against the Hero of Time. Air left his lungs as he was mercilessly slammed against the wall on the other side of the cavern. Leaning against it, Link watched dizzily as Volvagia opened its jaws.

"Link!" Navi fluttered around him, violently fluttering her wings to wake him.

_Again. Not again. Never again!_

And suddenly it was over, with an enchanted light arrow that pierced the dragon's left eye, causing it to roar in anger. Mad with pain and dying, again, Volvagia flew high, roaring, growling, slowly burning itself out. Link rested against the wall and the small edge where he was perched. His vision was blurry, and Navi was pushing against his chest, in a futile attempt to stop him from plunging down into the lava pits. Something leathery wrapped around his unharmed arm, and with a yelp, he was suddenly flung back to the main platform. He glared at the three Sheiks that appeared before his dimming eyes.

"When I said annoying heroic deed, I didn't mean suicide," The Sheikah grumpily scolded him, as he gently forced a red potion past his lips.

Link smiled slightly as he felt the magic healing him from the inside out. Half lying on the Sheikah, he sighed contently. He could feel warmth radiating from the other, and for the first time since their strange journey had started, he realized he was _not_ alone. How many times had he laid alone in an empty boss room, bleeding and panting and struggling to survive? He didn't want to remember.

"Did we kill it?" He asked finally, repressing a shudder at memories that were better left untouched.

"I'd say so," In the red depths of the Sheikah's eyes, Link could see the mischievous glint arising, "Do you want all the gory details?"

"No!"

* * *

"_A wise man turns fortunate chance into fate."_

* * *

Sheik dumped the mug of water on the Hero's face, red eyes glinting gleefully.

"Oi!"

Darunia watched with amusement as Link spluttered indignantly, glaring daggers at the unrepentive Sheikah.

"You're going on a diet," Sheik said after he dodged a half hearted attempt to hit him, Link glared even more darkly, "No Hero of Time should be that heavy."

"I'm not fat!" He protested loudly, getting back to his feet easily.

"You said it, not me," The Sheikah replied as he arched an eyebrow, eyes glinting with unrestrained amusement, "But now that you mention it, look."

Darunia saw something he never thought possible. Sheik poked Link's belly, to illustrate his point. _No one_ dared to poke the Hero of Time… except his madly amused Sheikah companion. Navi giggled in the background, hovering safely above them.

"Don't _do_ that!" Link snapped irritably, rubbing his stomach in annoyance, blushing slightly.

"Mhm," Sheik poked him again, then raised his hands in a resigned fashion, "What are we going to do, apparently the Hero of Time is far too _big_ to go adventuring on his own."

Darunia didn't see the sword fly, Sheik did. He dodged it masterfully, moving with unnatural grace to the side, he dodged the first, and the second blow, and those that came afterwards, the annoyingly smug aura around him not fading in the slightless, even as he taunted the already frustrated Hylian into a fight.

The Sage of Fire grudgingly admitted he was impressed. Navi, however, was not.

"Oh, stuff it you two!" Flashing irritably, the fairy bounced around them, breaking their playful fight and reminding them where they were, "We have three more Temples to visit, and you're making a show of yourselves here!"

Sheik shrugged as Link apologized.

"If anything else fails," Darunia mused grinning wickedly, "We could send your fairy up against the King of Evil, Brother," Link smiled embarrassedly, while Sheik coughed a snicker behind his hand, "She surely has the temper to match your power."

"Do you have the stone?" Link asked after a while, when humor had died and they were serious about things again.

"In the pedestal, you're free to take it anytime," Darunia smiled honestly, a certain sense of pride glinting in his eyes, "You earned it hard the first time, remember?"

Link smiled back, nodding, and Sheik wondered, not for the first time, what made the Hero of Time… well, Hero-ish.

* * *

"_Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance, at Fate's request."_

* * *

Sheik leaned against a tree as he watched Link and Malon chat. The near death experience just a few days before hadn't been enough to erase the mark of friendliness in the Hero's even temper. If anything, it just made him try harder. Sheik was intrigued. He had been afraid, he could honestly admit it to himself, he had been afraid Link would die in the lava pits. It was perhaps his fear that had powered up the spell on the arrow, making it so astonishingly deadly against the monster. By a silent mutual agreement, they hadn't talked about it, aside from playful banter, where harmless insults and a few attacks were thrown. It still irritated Navi something awful.

"Rupee for your thoughts."

Blinking, Sheik was pulled out of his thoughts by the redhead, her strained smile irking him slightly. He shrugged.

"Nothing important," He replied softly, resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow as she blushed. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting him to answer.

"You have a nice horse," Malon said after a while, recovering her usual smile, though the blush remained, "Epona likes him."

"Vlaise is a warhorse," Sheik replied with a shrug, "He enjoys whatever peace he can get for as long as he can," Red eyes flickered in the strange light, making Malon feel small in his presence, "So do I."

"I'm going to help father and Mr. Ingo with dinner," She excused herself from his presence politely, "I'll call you and Link when we're ready."

But no amount of politeness would hide the edge of fearful respect in her voice. She was Hylian, he was Sheikah. And though he knew his own were stronger and sometimes better than Hylians in a good number of things, they were less, and the few that remain were being consumed by time itself. Sheik saw Link talking quietly with Epona, telling the mare what he wouldn't dare to tell anyone else. He smiled behind the mask.

"Telling her all your sordid secrets?" He called as he approached, purposely making noise, so as to not hear what he wasn't supposed to hear.

"Nah," Link smiled, resting his face against Epona's strong neck, "Just complaining about the annoying Sheikah I have to work and travel with."

"Mhm," Red eyes flashed, "Poor you."

He moved like a cat, stalking. Link purposely took steps back and away from him, cautionously, grinning mischievously.

"Poor me."

They didn't know what they were playing at, they just know it felt _right_. The power struggle, the ease at which they could tease each other. The way they could trust each other so fully, with their lives and more. Sheik's eyes seemed to glow with a fire of their own.

"You owe me a rematch," Link mused as his back touched the walls of the ranch.

"So I do," Sheik was two steps away from him, shrugging, "Are you-"

The cocky question was silenced when a cucco pecked his feet. Giving a startled cry, Sheik moved away from the bird, his little game with Link forgotten with the insistent bother.

"If I make a pun regarding cocks you're going to shoot me and pin me to a tree, aren't you?"

"_Yes._"

"Alright, just checking."

Link grinned lazily as the stubborn cucco pecked Sheik's feet, no matter where he went. And by the twitching of the Sheikah's eyebrow, for all his patience, he could tell he was about to snap.

Which he did.

"No!" With a horrified look, Link's face fell as Sheik gave the damn bird a mean kick.

"What?" Throwing his arms up the air in an exasperated fashion, the Sheikah shrugged.

"Damnit, run!"

There was an ominous cry from the cucco, and a flapping of wings could be heard around them in the distance. Eyes widening, Link grabbed Sheik's wrist and pulled him with him towards the lone tower at the back of the ranch. White feathers started to fall around them, and the cucco's cries started to get deafening. And then they were both knocked down by the sudden rain of birds. Crying out in surprise, Sheik landed on top of Link, wincing as he felt the surprisingly sharp talons of the birds sink into his back.

"C'mon!"

Somehow they managed to enter the tower, close the door and slump against the wall.

"Never," Link breathed as he leaned against the wall, exhausted, "Ever, dare to provoke the wrath of a cucco. They are the one true evil in this land."

They looked at each other, saw the feathers oddly stuck into their hair, their clothes torn, dirt on their faces. Link grinned weakly, and Sheik took off his mask and his turban, causing the feathers stuck in them to fall into his lap.

They burst out laughing.

It took a moment for Sheik to realize he was being stared at, and as he pulled back slightly, he felt nervous, suddenly longing for his mask to be on and to hide his expression. Link had a strange look in his eyes, and his lips were curved into a satisfied half smile.

"You should laugh more often," He said honestly, tilting his head to the side and making his hat perch lopsidedly on his head, "It makes you look less…Shadowy."

Sheik smiled back.


	3. Part Three

"_Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better."_

* * *

"Zelda…" Link all but whined as he followed the Princess through her room. He expertly caught a flying dress as the distressed female tried to find the perfect clothes, "But we're still missing three Temples!"

"Link, stop whining," Sheik called over from the window he was sitting on, red eyes unamused, "This is important."

"Yes, it is," The Princess sighed, sitting atop the chest at her bed's feet, pouting, "King Dorian and his sons are coming to the castle to visit and formalize the engagement," She crossed her arms and looked at the two of them with a hint of weariness, "We need to be on our guard, they don't know what's going on, and they could be ambushed. I know you hate being around the castle Link, and I know your mission is important, but I just need you two here, please," She looked at them pleadingly.

"You know I can't say no to that face," Link said finally, sighing in mock despair. Sheik shrugged.

"Thank you!" Hugging them both, the Princess of Destiny smiled kindly, "I'll make it up to you somehow, promise."

Impa interrupted the scene coughing.

"I know it's not what it looks like," She said as she arched an eyebrow, "Others, however, would misunderstand the situation, don't you think?"

It took a moment for Zelda to realize she was still wearing her nightgown, and though it showed not an inch of skin, it was considered indecent if someone other than family saw her. Although, for her, Sheik and Link where the closest thing to loving siblings she had.

They had arrived before dawn, having received the summons from Impa, they quickly left the ranch and any plans they had to go to the Water Temple – much to Sheik's relief.

"I hope you don't mind if I gave you two a single room," Impa said as soon as they left the Princess in her room, "I don't want to separate you, and I need you to keep an eye on this so called '_Prince'_"

"You don't like him very much, do you?" Link asked as he and Sheik were lead towards their new room.

"Not one bit," The Shadow Sage admitted after a while, "But you'll meet him soon, and you'll be able to form your own impressions."

"Is he-?" Sheik trailed off, slightly unsure.

"Yes," Impa's voice hardened to steel, and the young Sheikah paled behind his mask.

She lead them into a large room, right next to the one the visiting Royals would use. It was slightly Spartan, with few decorations beyond the double bed and the large chest at its foot. As soon as Impa was gone, Link went straight to open the windows, and took a deep breath. Sheik sat on the bed, turban and mask resting on his lap as he looked up at his companion.

"If we keep sharing a bed, I'm going to forget how it feels to sleep alone," Link joked lightly as he sat at the end, taking off his hat. Sheik arched an eyebrow.

"Are you complaining, Hylian?" He smirked deviously, "Because if it's so, I'll have you know I'm the one who's suffering the most with these arrangements."

"Excuse me?" Link snorted, blue eyes narrowed considerably.

"You," And at this a finger jabbed Link's chest, "Snore."

"I do not!" Cried the Hero, indignant.

"You keep telling yourself that," Came the dry reply.

A muffled growl was his only warning, and he was tackled. Growling back, he answered the attack with one of his own, and in a matter of minutes, they were rolling in bed, mock fighting and laughing.

"Oh for the sake of anything that's holy!" Navi's disgruntled cry echoed from under Link's hat, forgotten on the floor, "Don't _start_ again!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the most bloody of all pillow fights started.

* * *

"_Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance."_

* * *

Link had an awfully smug smile in place as he stood behind the King and Princess Zelda. Under the mask, Sheik looked as if he had eaten a sour lemon. Impa had a thunderstorm brewing right under her impassive face. The King and Zelda looked royal and impressive. The Capitan of the Royal Guard entered the throne room, and made a bow to the royals.

"My Lord, my Lady ," He stood up and made a motion to the door, "I present to you, King Dorian and his sons, Prince Yaren and Prince Darien."

Link had seen many kings in his life, from the chubby Zora ruler, to the volatile Deku monarch, but he had never seen a King that exuded so much arrogance. Not even Ganondorf, in the peak of his rule of terror, had looked so snobbish. The balding ruler smiled condescendingly at his fellow Hylian, showing off his yellowed teeth as if they were something out of myth. Which in the realm of personal habits, they were. A nightmare.

The older son, Yaren, took after his father, his features pointy and somewhat flat in his angular face. He was very obviously older than them, well past twenty, though his body looked the kind that didn't move much. His short dirty blond hair fell over his face, curled unnaturally as he gave their Princess a not so veiled lewd look with his dark brown eyes.

Link and Sheik both feared for his life as Impa clenched her fists tightly.

The other Prince, Darien, was a bit more lanky and close to them in age, with short, straight hair, orangey brown in color and amused almond eyes. His aquiline features, crowned by his hooked nose, made him not exactly handsome, but certainly welcoming. Compared to his father and his brother, he looked much more royal, less prone to violence and considerably more likeable than them.

After exchanging some pleasant words, they moved the session to the great hall, where a banquet was being served. For some reason, Sheik got a higher ranking seat than Link, to his left, but he didn't particularly care. The Six sages were there, in representation of their tribes as they sat right after Link, Sheik, Zelda and Impa, who were the very next ones to the King. After the Wise Ones, King Dorian and his sons sat.

This didn't seat well with the spoil rotten Yaren, who glared in outrage at them all, taking a particularly nasty glint when he looked at Sheik and Impa.

"I can understand if you place the royals and governors of these lands before us," He hissed angrily, "But I will not stand to sit lower than a mere servant!"

And he pointed accusingly at Sheik.

"Your Majesty? Princess Zelda?" The young Sheikah, who for once wasn't wearing his turban or his mask, nodded politely to his guests, then turned over to Impa, who was close to seething, "You will excuse us, but I will not share a meal with murderers. Impa? We're leaving."

The Shadow Sage stood up as well, her dark eyes almost glowing in tightly bottled fury. Link blinked.

"Impa, your duty to my Kingdom does not allow you to-" The King started, somewhat miffed at the sheer arrogance in the young Sheikah.

"My duty to your Kingdom ends where the loyalty to my own King starts," Impa replied coldly, "Good evening."

Both Sheikah retreated to the Shadows, then disappeared.

"If you excuse me," Link got up too, "I don't think I should be here," Turning on his heel, he left, brow furrowed at Impa's words.

Silence stretched as the Hero made his way to the door, no one daring to contradict the holder of the Triforce of Courage. When the door shut behind him, it echoed in the strangely hollow hall.

"If you'll excuse us, your majesty," Rauru said politely, standing up as his fellow Sages did, "I'm afraid our duties are calling. Good evening."

In five flashes of light, the Guardian of Time, the Kokiri Leader, the Zora Princess, the Goron Ruler and the Gerudo Queen disappeared, and for an instant, their power almost crushed those present. A warning had been issued.

Hyrule's King, for all his power, trembled inwardly at the possible abandon of all his allies. Zelda left the table as soon as she was able to, barely holding herself together.

* * *

"_A throne is only a bench covered with velvet."_

* * *

"King!" Link slammed the door to their room as he stormed inside.

Sheik was sitting by the window, reading a book. His hands shook. He closed it quietly, placing it on a small table and walking up to the enraged Hero of Time. Link looked wounded more than angry, betrayed.

"Calm down," The Sheikah said softly, wincing as the blue eyes flashed.

"Don't give me that," Link glared, "Who the hell are you?"

"Sheik, of the Sheikah," Red eyes glared right back, Link snorted, folding his arms before him, "I'm the youngest son of the royal family. Our Queen, Mohair, escaped the attack King Dorian set on every Sheikah settlement outside Hyrule. He hunt down every one of us, because we were too numerous for his tastes," Link didn't like seeing a sneer on Sheik's face, at least when he meant it, "He knew of our alliance to Hyrule's King, and thought we were spies for him. I saw my brothers and my sisters die when the castle fell, my mother reduced to a bitter old hag that died in the desert, alone and half mad, without anyone really caring _or_ remembering about her," Absently, he realized he was crying. Link looked embarrassedly taken aback, not sure how to take on the sudden display of bottled emotion. Sheik didn't care, he was too deep into his tirade to stop, "And that man, that bastard of a man, stormed into my home, slew my family, spit on my father's grave and said we were nothing but slaves to Hylians, because we didn't deserve anything else. That bastard, who right now is sleeping like a royal in the room next to this very one, he took away everything from me and from my people. And I'm quite sure he was the last thing my mother was thinking about when she silenced herself, less than two months ago. Excuse me if I didn't tell you. Excuse me if I didn't rub salt into the wound earlier. Go on, be angry, leave, it wouldn't be the first time!"

Somehow, along the rant, he ended up in Link's embrace, angrily hitting his chest, sobbing uncontrollably as his friend held him, soothed him. They were on the floor, Link's back to the intricate carvings of the wooden chest, Sheik struggling with himself next to him.

Link tried not to think about how right he felt holding the distressed Sheikah in his arms, tried not to think about the warmth.

Closing his eyes, he rested his cheek on top the unruly blond hair, and allowed sleep to claim them both.

* * *

"_One that does not think too highly of himself is more than he thinks."_

* * *

The knock in the door awoke them. Jumping a bit, Sheikah and Hylian looked at each other in surprise. They had spent the night curled around each other, on the floor, without a care in the world. Link blushed brightly, while Sheik smiled shyly.

The knocking continued.

Startled, Link made a motion with his head, and Sheik nodded, grabbing his bow and preparing an arrow, pointing at the door. The Hero of Time reached for his sword and readied himself to open the door.

Darien raised his hands in surrender as the door flung open and he found he had a sword to his chest and an arrow pointed to his head.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm disarmed," Shrugging a bit as the bow was kept and the sword lowered, he sighed, "I just came to apologize, since Yaren won't do it," He looked at them with sincere apology in his eyes, "Quite honestly, I'm sorry. My brother doesn't know when to keep silent, and my father encourages him to believe he is superior to everyone else."

Sheik and Link shared a look, then smirked as they allowed the Prince into their rooms.

"He's going to get quite a nasty shock," Link said with a slight grin, "Particularly if he tries to get the upper hand with Zelda."

"Mhm," Sheik looked devious, "Suddenly, you seem to have better chances to be King than before, your Highness."

"Call me Darien," The hooked nosed Prince smiled nastily, "_You_ know that and _I_ know that. Yaren, however, firmly believes women are little better than cattle that need to be directed. I'm afraid only a well placed fireball will prove him wrong."

Link and Sheik shared wicked looks as they started an easy chat with the Prince. Link tried not to think about Sheik curled in his arms. Sheik tried not to think about being held safely. Darien tried not to think about Zelda marrying his brother.

Just as they were laughing, Zelda's screech of out rage reached them, and they scrambled away to see what was happening.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"_No God and no religion can survive ridicule. No political church, no nobility, no royalty or other fraud, can face ridicule in a fair field, and live."_

* * *

Link looked over at Sheik and tilted his head towards the sullen looking Yaren. Sheik nodded, eyes glinting nastily.

Yaren had gotten a nice wake up call when he sneaked into Zelda's private rooms. Thinking he could take advantage of their engagement before time, he was shown the door with ease by the irate Princess. Thanks to Impa's intervention, however, his life was spared. Link's own Triforce mark was responding to the Princess indignation, and he wondered if the snobbish Prince wasn't going to implode suddenly. He was certain Zelda's glare should be registered as a deadly weapon.

However, after the tense breakfast, things in the castle calmed slightly, and Darien made a feeble attempt at rebuilding the bridges his brother had almost burnt to ashes with his indiscretion, making idle chat with Link and Sheik, and proposing a hunting exercise at Lon-Lon ranch.

Hunting, Link decided after a while, was decidedly overrated. Compared to the Horseback Archery the Gerudo indulged in from time to time, or chasing off Big Poes through Hyrule fields, riding with Royalty as they fought to kill a few captured wild wolfos within Lon-Lon ranch's field was boring with capital 'B'. Sheik, sitting still on Vlaise, seemed to share the feeling.

"Left!" Link cried as he and Epona rushed forward, the mare snorting with unleashed adrenaline.

"Right!" Sheik shouted back as he made a swift change of direction, Vlaise protesting slightly at it.

From atop a hill, the Kings, as well as the Princess and the Princes watched the show of skill, some awed, some pleased, some envious.

Link held the gilded sword in a deadly grip as he let himself slid to the side, almost hanging off Epona's saddle as the mare closed on the chase over one of the wolfos. Sheik, on the other hand, preferred to outrun them, then turned sharply with the horse, and finish them off with well planted arrows. As they finished their small parody of a battle, Sheikah and Hylian circle each other, Epona's muzzle almost touching Vlaise's tail and vice versa, as they lock eyes, smirking.

"You owe me a rematch," Link mused after a moment, hands tightly holding the reins.

"Mhm," Sheik's eyes glinted with amusement, "Perhaps you should call the start this time… so I don't, Din forbid, _cheat_."

"Smug bastard," Link laughed, and Epona neighed in agreement, rearing on her back quarters for a moment.

"Naïve hero," Sheik threw back, tilting his head up in challenge.

"Ha!"

And the Hero of Time was off, speeding across the ranch's field as fast as Epona would go, with Vlaise, all fury and Sheikah wrath, trailing after him. The blue eyed Hero and the mare easily jumped the fence towards Hyrule Field, the Sheikah close on their hooves. Zelda sighed, exasperated.

"Men," She spat, as if scaled. The four present winced, though for various reasons.

The least of them being the still glowing Triforce mark in her hand.

* * *

"_Majesty and love do not consort well together, nor do they dwell in the same place."_

* * *

The engagement was off. Of course, Zelda used longer, more complicated words as they finished the simple, yet delicious meal Malon, Talon and Ingo had prepared for them, but in plain old English, the engagement was off. And if Yaren didn't remove his person from her lands within a day, his father would remove his ashes instead. Link was trying hard to hide his grin. Sheik's eyes were glinting with amusement. Yaren looked outraged. King Dorian's eyes promised revenge. Darien looked awfully smug. Their belongings had been packed and brought to the ranch as a subtle, but clear command. Leave. The Hylian royals, as well as Link and Sheik followed the retiring visitors as they entered Lon-Lon Ranch, as per protocol. They rode out of the ranch, with Malon following behind, since she wanted to get one last glance at the departing royalty. The horses neighed nervously as they slowly approached the passage to the trail that would lead the royals back home. It was a tunnel that lead directly under the mountain range that separated Lake Hylia and the forest, and which lead to Dorian's Kingdom.

What wasn't in the script was the horde of Stalfos that suddenly arose from the ground, screeching as they hurled their swords against the royals. Yaren and Dorian didn't move, frozen in shock, but as Malon screamed, a Stalfo threatening to harm her, Darien rushed to her side, grabbing her waist and sweeping her off her feet and into his horse with ease.

"I suppose," Zelda said dryly as they watched the armored skeletons circle the annoying royals, "That you have to go and save them, right?"

But Link and Sheik were already gone, using the advantage of their horses to kill off the annoying undead warriors. Link ran against them, beheading them as he went, while Sheik used the Steel Whip to attack. Impa held the Princess and the King safely at a distance, while the resident Hero and the reluctant Sheikah Musician/Hero/Sidekick/King/Poe-activist/Whatever killed off the remaining monsters.

"Shouldn't we…?" Sheik trailed off, seeing as Darien was dealing with the last Stalfos, Malon safely held to his waist.

"Nah," Link grinned impishly, "Something tells me there would be hell to pay if we interrupted their fairy tale moment."

Sheik was silent for a moment, then, as Darien delivered the killing blow, he turned to Link with a strange look in his eyes.

"True."

* * *

"_Lovers who love truly do not write down their happiness."_

* * *

"If this whole thing wasn't so horribly nauseating, I'd say it's romantic," Link mused as he sat down next to his Sheikah companion, offering him a mug of ale.

"You never struck me as the romantic type," Sheik replied as he took the offered drink, arching an eyebrow curiously, "Then again, with the whole heroic business going on, I'm not surprised you have a sense for that."

"Maybe," Link shrugged, "Hey, if being romantic means we get a free meal, hand me the roses and serenade me any day."

"Speaking of serenades," Sheik mused with a light grimace, "We still have three Temples to beat."

"Don't remind me," Link sulked slightly as he took a sip of his drink, "I'm dreading the Water Temple."

"Why?" Sheik tilted his head to the side.

Sure, battling Temples was a life gamble and they had been almost killed a few times, plus they generally ended covered in monster's innards, sweaty and sore, yet he had thought Link was used to it.

He was the Hero of Time, after all.

"Because a frustrated, sadistic idiot designed it," Came the gloomy reply.

"What?" Sheik blinked.

"You'll see," Link said in a somewhat cryptic voice, watching as the newly engaged couple danced in the center of the celebration. Malon had never looked so happy before, "Say, do you reckon Dorian and Yaren will be a problem?"

"Not really," Sheik smirked, "They value their lives. With the Sages awake and active, Hyrule is practically untouchable, save for our resident King of Evil," Tilting his head in a teasing manner, the Sheikah gave Link an unreadable look, "But that's why we keep you around, right?"

Link snorted.

* * *

"_Obstacles are merely Fate's way of calling our attention."_

* * *

A frustrated, sadistic idiot had designed the Water Temple.

Sheik was sure of it.

He was sore, soaked to the bone, shivering in the chill of the long corridors and quite sure he would go insane if Link hauled him around with that damned hookshot of his one more time. Miserably, he glared at his less miserable Hylian companion, who was busy looking at the insides of a large chest they had found, after defeating a horde of spiked, angry and violent enemies. Pocketing the rupees, and then holding the compass over the map, Link paled.

Sheik had the sinking feeling he wasn't going to like whatever he told him next.

"We… might have a slight problem ahead," Link looked uneasily at him, shifting his weight on his feet.

"Why?" When in doubt, Mohair used to say, be tentative.

"The next room is where the Shadow lives," The Hylian Hero looked a bit pale, "Remember when I said this was designed by a frustrated, sadistic idiot?"

"Yeah," Sheik grinned despite himself, snickering, "I quite agree, by the way."

"Well, the next room is the main reason I say so," He sighed as he leaned against the chest, resting for a moment, "Sadistic alright, whoever created this Temple had a good idea of Shadow magic. I don't know how it'll react to both of us, but whatever happens, don't ask questions, just kill the damned thing."

Sheik _really_ didn't like how that sounded.

* * *

"_One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity."_

* * *

He didn't care. He was going to find out just _who_ had enchanted the room, he was going to rouse them from the dead, and _then_ he was going to kill them painfully and slowly. _Repeatedly._

At first look, the room hadn't look out of the ordinary. The ever present puddles of water on the floor, a lone island in the center with a dead tree in it, all that there was. As they entered, Link motioned him to ready his weapons, and he followed the Hero as he cautionously crossed the room.

Navi screeched as the two Shadows emerged from the silvery water.

If Sheik stucked to his own words and looked for the brighter side of things, he could say he was impressed at his progress in the 'battling evil' area. His Shadow was giving Link a hard time, and even with all his skill, the Hero of Time had been struck down with the whip enough times to make Sheik wince every time he heard the cackle of water-made rope.

However, this optimistic view of things paled considerably when he was busy dodging a water made gilded sword and trying in vain to fight off a snarling Shadow.

"Link!" His Shadow's face was blank and expressionless as he raised the whip again, preparing to strike down the fallen hero.

Landing a kick on Shadow Link's chest, Sheik threw one of his knives against his Shadow, getting it in the chest. It dissolved back into water without a sound, apparently unaware it had been defeated.

Sheik, however, shrieked as the wicked Shadow blade pierced his shoulder.

A second later, Shadow Link disappeared, an arrow stuck perfectly in its forehead. Sheik managed to roll on his back and looked up at Link dizzily as the pink fairy he released flew around, and the wound closed slowly. He grinned behind the mask.

"Frustrated, sadistic idiot, eh?" He breathed sardonically, and was awarded Link's heart felt laugh as he plopped down on the floor, opening a bottled fairy for himself.

The illusion vanished shortly after, and they continued their way through the hell bent Temple.

* * *

"_Destiny and Love are an unfortunate pairing. They flourish strongly, but must withstand the harshest winters."_

* * *

"You. Are. The. Most. Irresponsible. Brat. In. The. Whole. Wide. World!" Sheik all but bellowed as they came out of the blue light, covered in the last remains of Morpha's water-y body.

Link spluttered as he glared right back at the Sheikah.

"We're alive, aren't we!" The Hylian Hero hissed, blue eyes flashing.

"Define being alive!" Sheik snapped back, red eyes narrowed almost into slits "Because if your definition includes being exhausted, terrified, half eaten by a gigantic amoeba, after being almost killed by ourselves, soaked to the bone and looking like half drowned rats, then yes, we're alive, thank you ever so much!"

"I've just saved your life, you ungrateful _prat_!" Link saw red, hands fisted at each of his sides, trembling.

"And what do you want? A medal!" Sheik was shaking too, torn between rightful anger and the memories of the just past terrified experience.

"If you stopped being such a pain and actually got into the fight, we wouldn't be nearly so injured!" A finger jabbed viciously the Sheikah's chest, rudely.

"Is that so?" Came the velvety poisonous reply, "If you took a second to actually _think_ before you throw yourself head first into things, _maybe_ we could avoid some fights!"

"Yeah? Well, that's the way actual _heroes_ do things!" The Hero snapped back, almost howling.

"Really? Then I'm not surprised there aren't so many around!" Link could _feel_ the sneer washing over him.

"Ha! Coming from you that's rich!" In all truth, Link regretted the words as soon as they felt his mouth, watching as Sheik went silent, red eyes narrowing into slits.

"Don't you _dare_ to bring that up now, don't you _dare_!" It was a cold hiss that spoke of a fury too great for words.

"I will say whatever I damn well please!" He regretted the words, yes, but at the moment his own anger was greater.

"You arrogant, self centered, childish poor excuse for a hero!"

"Angsty, moody, socially inept poor try of a warrior!"

They glared viciously at each other. Link's hat was hanging precariously from his head, Sheik's turban was looser than usual, and both looked flushed from their recent battle and the great strain of their fight.

And then Link ripped off the mask and half of his turban as he gave a strangled cry, and before Sheik could protest, he was being kissed. And since being kissed was definitely better than being yelled at, he kissed back, with fervor. Navi was about to make a comment, when Link's hat, carelessly discarded by the Sheikah, fell on her, efficiently trapping her under the weight of wet cloth.

"This doesn't change the fact I'm angry with you," Sheik mused as he looked up at Link. From such close distance, he really hated those four inches the Hero had on him.

"Mhm," The blue eyed teen nuzzled his neck.

"And I'm still faster than you'll ever hope to be," Red eyes closed on instinct as curious lips caught his earrings, nibbling on flesh and metal tentatively.

"I know," Link smiled knowingly as he felt the trembling hands tighten considerably on the front of his tunic.

"Good," Sheik looked at him pointedly, as if fighting with himself to remember what he was saying, "And you still snore something awful."

Link decided kissing him was a rather nicer way of shutting him up. Sheik didn't complaint.

* * *

"_It is the ultimate destiny, to die and rest among our ancestry. But how high or how low you'll be sat, depends entirely on how glorious Death was to you."_

* * *

"Link?" Sheik stood at the entrance of the Temple, looking back, he cast a slightly worried glance at his companion.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the Hero of Time walked to him, uneasy smile in his face. Sheik shrugged inwardly, and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"It'll go well," Even as the large stone slid upwards, revealing the entrance to the Shadow Temple, the soft voice fell over Link almost like a tangible caress, "It'll all be fine."

They both pointedly ignored Link's trembling hands.

* * *

"_It is hard to have patience with people who say 'There is no death' or 'Death doesn't matter.' There is death. And whatever it is, it matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as well say that birth doesn't matter."_

* * *

In the end, things had _not_ gone well.

Link was tentative at best, and Sheik couldn't figure out why. The redeads and gibdos in the first maze of fake walls made both of them nervous, but the sun song, either in ocarina or harp version, was enough to stun the damned creatures. It was against the first major enemy of the Temple where things went straight to hell. As the Dead Hand reached out for Link, he gave a startled cry and froze.

Neither Sheik's calls or Navi's screams could pull him back from whatever nightmare he was reliving, as the disgusting creature leaned in to leech his life away.

It took Sheik an inhuman effort to keep the creature at bay, then a suicide attempt to use Link's sword to finally get rid of the monster. Link was still sitting on the ground, where the hands had dropped him after Sheik destroyed then, shaking and shivering, looking blankly at unseen terrors.

Panting and drenched in sweat, Sheik carefully placed the borrowed sword back on Link's back, and knelt before the trembling Hero.

"Link?" Shaking him slightly, he felt his voice break at the edges, "Hylian, snap out of it and talk to me."

"Sheik?" Navi floated up to the worried teen, her light almost dimmed with worry, "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"_There is nothing which at once affects a man so much and so little as his own death."_

* * *

"He died," The small sprite admitted as Sheik let the now unconscious Hero on the bed. Whirling to look at her startled, the Sheikah blinked, "Against that monster, the first time he fought the Temple. He always carries at least two healing fairies for emergencies, so one of them revived him almost immediately, but the damaged had been done. For a split second, he _was_ dead."

"Goddesses," Swallowing hard against a dry throat, Sheik let a hand brush the strands of blond hair absently, "That's what Darunia meant? When he was warning him about danger?"

"Link never quite forgave himself," Navi said sadly, perching on the back of a chair, "He felt he failed, that he wasn't good enough. Of course we know that's not true, but it was a cold wake up call regarding mortality. It took him days before he could dare to re-enter the Temple again. But he did it eventually."

"He thinks he failed?" The incredulous tone made the sprite wince, "He saved the world, stopped one of the most powerful men in all times, faced dangers _no one_ else had ever dared to face, all, when he was still ten years old at heart, and he feels he _failed_ because he got hurt?"

"He died, Sheik," Navi's voice sounded slightly reproachful, "I don't think he had really thought about the possibility of dying before that. Sure, beating the Temples and their bosses was hard, but it was just one big adventure. Afterwards, he was much more self conscious around anything that reminded him of the incident."

"This isn't fair," The Sheikah muttered after a long silence.

"No, it isn't," Navi sighed, floating softly towards her charge, illuminating his features with her soft glow, "On anyone, but someone has to do it."

Sheik was silent for a long moment. Red eyes calculative, he reached for Link's sword, as well as a bottled fairy and his quiver. Placing the taken items in his own bag and adjusting the rather heavy sword to his hip, he dusted himself and leaned in to kiss the Hero's forehead.

"Where are you going?" Navi asked in alarm as the Sheikah climbed down the stairs.

Red eyes regarded her coldly, expressionless features hidden by the white mask and the turban.

"Someone has to do it, right?"


	4. Part Four

"_Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their destiny. They learn what to do and what to avoid."_

* * *

It was Amy's almost desperate shaking that awoke Link. Giving a startled cry upon seeing the Poe face to face, Link reached for his sword almost on instinct, only to find it was missing. Link tensed nervously. Floating back, the usually cheerful Poe seemed worried, and it showed. Link took a moment to look around him, realize he wasn't in the Shadow Temple anymore, and that neither Sheik or Navi were around.

His stomach sank as he followed the distraught Poe outside.

Sure enough, the green ghost lead him to the Graveyard, where he could see the fallen Sheikah, slumped against the Royal Tomb Stone, the Composer Brothers and Navi hovering around him worriedly. Link's heart shrunk with worry.

"Sheik?" Voice trembling, he reached out for the unconscious teen as the Poes gave him enough space, "C'mon Sheikah, don't scare me like that."

Satisfied the Sheikah was in good hands, the three ghosts left in respectful silence.

"I told him not to do it," Navi cried almost hysterically as Link forced a red potion down Sheik's throat, "I told him it was stupid and careless and… oh Link, I'm so _sorry!_"

Sheik coughed, letting the last remains of poison gas out of his lungs as he sat back, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Link tackled him, almost crushing him in a savage embrace.

"You're an _idiot!_" The Hero of Time cried out as he held onto him for his dear life, "Of all the stupid things to do!" Sheik smiled and hug him back with one arm, the other one getting the mask off and loosing up the turban, taking a deep breath of clean air, "_Why_ did you do something so stupid?"

"Because," Sheik smiled kindly, then leaned in to kiss the distressed Hero into silence a hand holding the smooth cheek in place, "Because someone has to do it, right?"

Link broke down into almost hysterical sobs, holding the Sheikah as if afraid he would vanish any second.

* * *

"_Time is the greatest illusion cast by Destiny."_

* * *

"Is that normal?" Link wondered as Amy hovered around Sheik almost adoringly.

"Is anything about you or me _normal_ at all?" The Sheikah mused back, balancing on his heels as the Poe made sure he was unharmed. Link chuckled.

"Guess no," Tilting his head to the side, the Hero of Time looked at his companion with a grin, "Ready to be lewdly manhandled?"

Sheik paused for a moment, then he sighed.

"Gerudos?"

"A whole fortress of them," The Hylian said with a sheepish grin.

The Sheikah muttered something impolite under his breath as he tightened his hold on Vlaise's reins, giving his companion a sidelong glance. Mounting his horse with ease, he waited for Link to get ready and then started a lazy trot towards the Valley. When they finally started the journey, the sun had yet to raise over the horizon. Link was unusually awake for the hour, considering it took him a considerable effort to get out of bed every morning.

"You don't look overly distressed about the matter," Sheik commented off handy, making Link shrug.

"I got used to it after a while," The blonde admitted with a small grin, "Besides, I know they don't mean anything with it, they're just…" Looking at his companion almost conspiratorially, he snickered, "Tough," Sheik gave him a flat look, "I mean," The look turned, if it was even possible, flatter, "Alright. They have a quality of stalking your damned Poe will never achieve, they are loud, obsessive and dominant and will probably try to tie you to… to… _something_ and then have their wicked way with you. In turns, possibly for as long as you're awake. Maybe even if you're unconscious if they're desperate enough."

Sheik held Vlaise back, watching the grumbling Hero of Time wide eyed.

"How the hell do you know _that_?"

Link cringed, halting Epona as Vlaise caught up with them.

"Long story," He said lowly, not looking at Sheik.

"Oh no," The Sheikah maneuvered his stallion so that he blocked the way, "You're _sixteen_, that's a story you're going to spill," Link opened his mouth to protest, "_Now._" Came the hiss.

"Oh alright," Sighing, the Hero of Time guided Epona so that they could keep up their journey, but their pace was considerably slower, "It was when I was an adult, you know, the alternate time line," Glancing a shy look over at his companion, he shrugged uncomfortably, hoping to the Triad that Navi was asleep, "To get into the Spirit Temple, the first time, I mean, it was a mess," Here, Link grimaced, "The bridge to the Valley was broken, the carpenters that were supposed to fix it had left and had been captured by the Gerudo, and the Gerudo wanted my head in a silver platter, because Ganondorf had told them I was the worst kind of male there was."

"_Male_?" Sheik asked with a risen eyebrow, surprised by the despective description.

"Yeah," Link kept his eyes straight ahead, "They don't like men, say they're too weak. Ganondorf support that theory, saying only he was worthy. And then I unexpectedly beat them and won approval. Which was a big mistake, if you ask me," He sighed theatrically.

"Why?" Sheik tilted his head to the side, "Did they attack you or something?"

"Worse," Link muttered with a dark look, "They _adored_ me. And being the _idiot_ I was, I just _had_ to go and get the Ice Arrows in their training ground, which brought the squealing levels to unbearable."

"Gerudos _squeal_? Sorry, can't grasp the concept."

"Neither could I," The Hero admitted with a shiver, "But damnit if I didn't get into Haunted Wasteland as fast as I could afterwards. After I beat the Spirit Temple and awoke Nabooru as a Sage, I made the _big_ mistake of arriving at the fortress. Of course, I was half dead and in a hurry to get to the Temple of Time and all that, but yeah, I kinda fell unconscious at the gate to the fortress."

"And?"

"When I woke up, I was in a warm, comfy bed, naked and with twenty woman looking at me like a Wolfos looks at it's prey," Link shuddered at the memory, "I don't want to remember how the hell I got out of that one, but more than one Deku nut was involved."

"Do I want to know?" Sheik wondered in a half strangled voice, snorting but not quite.

"Not really," Link got as close as he could to him, peering up at him from under his bangs, head bowed as Epona matched the stallion's steps, "Although you _do_ look cute when you're flustered and jealous."

"I'm _not._"

Vlaise neighed slightly as Sheik pulled the reins back roughly. Link grinned.

"Of course not."

And he sped up Epona, taking a good advantage over the indignant Sheikah.

* * *

"_The path to a fulfilled Destiny is often filled with irritating mishaps and lethal misunderstandings."_

* * *

Sheik wasn't talking to Link.

Ever again.

He was going to get through the madness the Princess had enrolled him to fulfill, and then he was going back to his little corner in the Desert, away from horribly backstabbing Hylians and stupid, obsessive Gerudos.

At least Amy had the decency to not peek at him when he was bathing.

"Sheik?"

Link's tentative voice was ignored.

"C'mon, I said I was sorry!"

_Purposely._

They were crossing Haunted Wasteland, on foot, because Link needed to buy something from a strange man in the flying carpet. Sheik seethed in the wooden bridge, annoyed, embarrassed and plotting revenge. When Link turned to face him, the Sheikah's eyes glowed almost evilly.

"Hey!" Link cried out in surprise as a hand sneaked under the bag of bombchus he had just bought, and snatched the Ocarina of Time from him, "Sheik?"

But the last notes of the Requiem of Spirit, harp version, were his only answer.

Link stared at the empty space for a moment, the howling of the wind and the constant sting of sand his only company.

Then he sighed as he prepared to finish the trail to Desert Colossus on foot.

* * *

"_'Tis the only comfort of the miserable to have partners in their woes."_

* * *

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Link breathed as he plopped down into the fairy fountain, the water cooling his burning skin almost at once.

His legs were scratched by Leevers, his eyes stung with sand, his throat was raw and he felt he had been dried to crisp. Sheik balanced precariously on his seat, looking down at him with an indifferent glance, looking at ease in the harsh desert climate.

"Hn," Sheik, perched on a rock nearby, played a few strings on the harp, looking at the Desert Colossus absently.

"That was mean," Link said after a while, wounds healed by the fairies, standing waist deep into the clear water, hair plastered to his face, tunic drenched.

"So was leaving me alone with those… those… _things_," Sheik snapped back, voice velvety with poison, as he threw the Ocarina back to its rightful owner.

"I apologized," Link replied, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly, the precious instrument held on a steady grip, "About a hundred times."

"Didn't hear you," Red eyes looked at him as the terse reply was issued, "Must have been all that wind."

"Will you stop being an ass already?"

Sheik yelped as strong arms pulled him down into the water, forcing him against a strong, stubborn body. Bandages hanging loosely and wet, his face mask was left awkwardly hanging, entangled in the mass of white cloth. The Sheikah narrowed his eyes to slits. Before he had a chance to protest, however, a pair of insistent, almost forceful lips sealed over his own, silencing his protests before he could even think them.

When they parted, Sheik was resting with his back against the rock he had been previously perching on, breathing raged and eyes half lidded. Link pressed against him, blue eyes hazy, a half smile hanging from his lips. The Sheikah trailed a finger from ear to chin, tilting it so he could look directly into the Hero's eyes.

"You can't solve everything with that, and you know it," His voice was slightly rough at the edges, like a tangible caress that made Link shiver.

"It doesn't mean I can't try," Instinctively pressing harder against him, Link let out a breathless moan as their bodies slid together.

"Doesn't mean it'll work, either," Sheik replied, lowly, arching his hips slightly, and hissing at the feeling of another so closed to him, "Where's Navi?"

"In the Great Fairy's Fountain," Link grinned deviously, "Away, busy and not here."

"Ah," Sheik's eyes were a dark red hue as Link started rolling his hips against him, face buried in the crook of his neck and hands trailing mischievously at his sides, "What are you doing?"

"Reminding you," Link breathed huskily, then bit down at the shoulder, through the cloth, making the Sheikah arch back, "And making you see Gerudos aren't so good."

"And you are?" That was a challenge, if Link ever heard one.

"Yes."

Sheik's hands held the green tunic tightly, before they brushed lower, sliding under the white leggings, caressing skin for the first time. Link groaned. Encouraged, the Sheikah leaned in for a kiss, teasingly trailing his fingers low on the Hero's abdomen, knowing by the mewling sounds where exactly he was wanted the most. Link's hips ground against him, forcing him back on the rock, where it dug almost painfully on his back. The fingertips, rough from handing a sword and so many weapons, tugged on his clothing until they found skin, sliding under the blue material with a startling ease. Sheik cried out in surprise as those same fingers gripped him, the strange feeling of water around them even more arousing.

"But you haven't done this before," Sheik snorted loudly, then gasped as the grip tightened.

"No," Link smiled mischievously, "But I'm an imaginative guy."

"Figures," Sheik grinned weakly, hair falling over his eyes messily.

"Are you complaining?" The Hero twisted his hands in a strange angle, then caught his lips against his own, possessively.

Sheik shuddered as pleasure ripped through his body, collapsing against the rock for support. Purring in the back of his throat, he slid a knee between Link's legs, giving him a half lidded look. As he pulled him closer, he nuzzled his neck almost mischievously.

"I might forgive you, after all," Grinning lightly, the Sheikah caught the sensitive tip of an ear with his teeth, grinning wickedly as Link shuddered, "But I'm not sure."

Their clothes were plastered against their skin, heavy and rough with the last remains of sand trapped within. As Sheik wrapped his hands around Link, the Hero arched his back and buried his face against the soiled bandages that were hanging uselessly on the Sheikah's neck. Link mewled softly, he was close, so close…

"_What do you think you're **doing**!_"

Pulling apart with a yelp, the startled teens found a hovering Navi fluttering her wings in distress above them. Sheik paled while Link flushed scarlet.

"I'm going to the Fountain, and I'm going to pretend I didn't _see_ that, and in ten minutes, when I come back, you'll be dressed, dry and _innocent_!"

Both teens looked at the huffing sprite fly away, then avoided each other's eye as they rearranged their clothing, cleaned it and sat on a rock to dry. They were back to back, not touching, but close enough, awkward and unsure of what to say.

* * *

"_There is a fellowship more quiet even than solitude, and which, rightly understood, is solitude made perfect."_

* * *

"So…" Link coughed uncomfortably, shifting as he looked at a few random Leevers passing by.

"So," Sheik answered softly, eyes stubbornly fixed on a pattern in the rock.

"I've always wanted to ask," Link said casually, taking a handful of sand and then letting it fall slowly, whispering as it glinted in the sun, "Why does Amy stalk you anyway?"

"It's… a personal question," Sheik answered slowly, his back tensing.

"Ah," Link glanced at him from over his shoulder, then abruptly turned to admire the gigantic statue carved from the rock, trying to seem indifferent, "I see."

Silence stretched over a long moment, and both wished silently for Navi to arrive quickly. She didn't.

"I got my harp when I was nine," The Sheikah's hands held the rock they were sitting on tightly, his eyes studiously fixed on a stone wall nearby. It was as if he was talking to himself, almost, "I was so excited… I had remembered my father playing the harp when I was younger, before the attack, and I had always wanted to play it, but Mohair wouldn't let me. I was too clumsy, to be honest, I still am sometimes, and I think she was afraid I would break the last remains of Him. So when I finally got my harp, I went out into a sandstorm and just _played_. I didn't even know what I was doing. I don't even know if it was music, I just did it, and it felt good. And everyday afterwards, I would go out at night, long after Mohair was asleep and I'd play. At first, it was just a whisper of wind, a brush of sand around, until eventually I caught her," Link couldn't see it, but he was sure Sheik was smiling fondly, "Hylians were gifted with ears to hear the word of the Gods, but Sheikah were gifted with eyes to see the truth. I could see her, even when she turned invisible and she was afraid I would harm her. But I didn't. I had never seen a Poe in my life. I didn't know I was supposed to be afraid or attack or expect an attack. And I told her that if she wanted to hear my music, she could stay," Sheik shrugged, and looked at Link cautionously over his shoulder, "She's never left."

"You could have told her to go," Link said after a while, finally turning to face him, tilting his head to the side. He was still blushing, he knew, and he hated himself slightly for it, but he noted with satisfaction that the Sheikah was flushed too, "If she annoys you that much, you could tell her to go."

Sheik said nothing for a moment, then tilted his head towards a pack of Leevers that appeared in the distance, their green tops standing out brightly in the white sand. Link noted Sheik's eyes were glinting in amusement.

"Have you ever killed a Leever, Hero?"

"What?" Blinking, Link shrugged, "No, Navi says it's better to let them pass by."

"I have," Sheik tilted his head in such a way, the Hylian could swear he was smirking under the mask, "And let me tell you something, it was not pleasant. It took a unholy amount of jumping, precarious balancing and a few well placed swipes of a knife to get it right. But I did, and you know what happened when I did?"

"You got a golden rupee?" Link mused tentatively, eyebrows arched in bewilderment.

"No, I got covered in half a ton of green and blue innards," Sheik grimaced, shuddering, "Plus, their blood is poisonous, so I spent a week in bed, too weak to even sit up."

"Ouch."

"Very," Sheik nodded in agreement, "Do you know what the point of this little story is?"

"Keep away from green spinning things?"

"No, Link," Sheik ruffled his hair affectionately, messing it until the green hat was covering his eyes, "It means that not because you _can_, you _must_."

Navi arrived before Link could answer, and by the dark look she was giving them, they silently agreed to let the matters drop.

* * *

"_Skill and confidence are an unconquered army."_

* * *

"You're going to get stuck there," Link said flatly, sitting on the rail of the stairs in the ante chamber of the Spirit Temple, while Sheik wrestled to get into the small hole at his right.

"No, I'm not going to get stucked here," Came the terse reply as a bone clicked dislocated. Link shuddered, "Sheikah are very, very flexible."

"Was that a hint?" The Hero mused with a goofy grin, eyes lighting up with glee.

"_Link_," Navi hissed as she pulled his bangs roughly, making him yelp. Sheik snorted as he pressed his dislocated shoulder forward.

"Sorry Navi," Rubbing his abused scalped with the back of his hand, the Hero looked at the twisted, pretzel-shaped Sheikah with an arched eyebrow, "So, was it?"

Sheik muttered something rude under his breath as his feet disappeared through the hole. There was a rustling of cloth, and then a victory cry.

"See? I told you I could do it," Sheik called over through the small hole, voice echoing strangely through the wall.

"Fine, I'm sorry," Link leaned in, peeking through the hole at the Sheikah, wondering _how_ had he passed through the small hole, "Just be careful, there's an Iron Knuckle at the end of that half of the Temple."

"I know," Sheik waved almost dismissingly, "Cross the Temple, beat the armor suit and get the gauntlets. Don't worry, we'll finish later."

"Sheik!"

But Link's embarrassed and indignant call received no answer, and he settled himself to wait.

* * *

"_It's hard to be funny when you have to be clean."_

* * *

"Remind me again how did we end up here?" Sheik mused after a moment, hanging limply from the thin rope carelessly wrapped over his left ankle, while Link held for his dear life to his hands.

"We have really, really bad luck?" The Hero answered sheepishly, shrugging.

"Really."

They were hanging upside down from the roof of an Anubis infested room, from thin, _inflammable_ rope, as the fire throwing serpents were just waiting the right moment to fry them. Navi fluttered around, trying to distract their enemies long enough so they could get free, but since there was a bottomless pit below them, they were having some problems to work out the dynamics of the whole thing.

About half an hour later, a bit of acrobatics involving Sheik's Steel Whip, Link's Hookshot and a few fire arrows, they were safely on the ground, mostly unharmed and trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculous amount of monsters innards that were covering them. Link trailed a path from the bottom of the eye in Sheik's white shirt with his forefinger, catching the greenish goo as he let his fingers go upwards, grinning.

"This is the second grossest thing, ever," The Hero mused as he played with the strange substance between his thumb and finger.

"Second?" Sheik didn't look so cheerful. In fact, he was turning a rather fetching shade of green.

"Yeah, Berinade's explosion has the top," Link explained matter-of-factly, turning to the exit with light steps, not in the least perturbed by the fact there were still pieces of a Beamos' thick skin clinging to his tunic.

"First, what's a Berinade, and second, why did it explode?" Taking the chance to change the topic to something less disgusting, hopefully, the Sheikah tried to ignore the stench that clung to them and tried not to think how many times he would need to wash his clothing to make it _leave_.

"It was a big electric parasite that lived within Lord Jabu-Jabu, the Zora Deity," Link answered calmly as he side stepped a falling Lizalfos, "Ganondorf put it in there to try and force the Zoras to give him the Spiritual Stone of Water."

"Ah," A second Lizalfos dropped and launched a fierce attack on the Sheikah, which was blocked with ease, "And you made it explode, then?"

"Kinda," Link grunted as he beheaded the reptile, "I just hit it with a boomerang a few times, slashed it and when it died, boom, green and purple innards everywhere."

"Cute," Sheik replied dryly as his own opponent died unceremoniously.

Link shrugged as they moved onto the next room.

* * *

"_For every ten jokes you acquire a hundred enemies."_

* * *

"So… two ugly hags make up one nice young girl? Is that a fact?" Sheik mused as he waited for the ice on his feet to melt.

The twin witches, now fused into one body glared at him, and if it hadn't been for Link's Mirror Shield, he would have ended up roasted.

"Could you please _try_ to not insult them?" The Hero hissed as the Mirror glowed with charged magic, "They're quite powerful when they aren't seething with rage over a random Sheikah's comments."

"Sorry," Came the reply, sounding anything but.

Beating Twinrova was a challenging affair. While the two witches had been separated, Sheik had tagged Kotake, while Link took down Koume, Mirror Shield and Magic Arrows being their main weapon against them. But they had irritated them soon enough, and Sheik's continuous comments mocking them had not helped matters. As they fused into one body, their power escalated and much to Link's ill humored amusement, Sheik became their main target. Unfortunately for the Sheikah, he did _not_ have a Mirror Shield at hand to reflect the attacks, and had to rely on Link's quick thinking and fast feet to save his hide.

With a final Light arrow from Sheik and the last slash of Link's sword, the witches screeched in pain and burnt to ashes, their ghosts appearing before the bewildered pair.

"What do you mean '_only three hundred eighty years'_? We're _twins!_ You can't be younger!"

"How heartless you've become! You're too cruel!"

"Cruel! Ha! You've become senile! That's why we've been defeated!"

"Heartless!"

"Senile!"

As they ascended into a beam of light, Sheik gave his companion a sidelong glance.

"Dare I ask?" He mused wryly twisting his left arm until it cracked horribly, making the Hero cringe.

"No, just be thankful those two didn't become Poes."

"Hey!"

* * *

"_Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment."_

* * *

"You two look like something a Wolfos munched on and then spat as waste."

Link and Sheik, holding each other for support and still covered in various monster's innards, gave Nabooru not so flattering looks at her welcoming words. They were tired, no longer on the verge of dying but close to collapse due exhaustion. The Sage of Spirit grinned.

"Hey, hey! Don't give me that look," Amber eyes glinting mischievously, she tilted her head to the side almost innocently, "Doesn't a bath and a nice comfy bedroom sound just good right now?"

"No if it involves the fortress," Link gave her a pointed look, and Nabooru cackled loudly.

"Of course not!" Her eyes glinted gleefully, amused by the Hero's sulking and Sheik's unease, "I remember last time, and even if you didn't, _I_ learnt the lesson."

After some protests, she led them towards a secluded little cave behind Dessert Colossus, guarded by big Iron Knuckle. The weary pair tensed considerably, but to their surprise, the gigantic suit of armor merely sank its ax on the sand and bowed to the Gerudo. She smiled at their questioning glances.

"As a Sage, one learns a few new tricks," Walking into the cave, Nabooru revealed a richly furnished room, with a natural spring in the back. Soft beddings padded the floor and colorful tapestries hung from the bare rock as they created a cozy atmosphere, "These are my personal quarters, close enough to the Temple to keep an eye on it, but far away from the fortress to keep the others' nosiness away from my business as a Sage. Make yourselves at home. I'll come for you tomorrow midmorning, and inform the Princess that the Temples have been purged successfully."

"Thank you, Nabooru," Link smiled gratefully, eyes tired as he sat down heavily on a soft pillow, "I owe you one."

"Actually, it's like the seventh time I save your ass, but who's keeping count?" The Gerudo laughed again, loudly, and it bounced on the rock walls, making Link bow his head embarrassedly.

"You shouldn't have," Sheik said softly, red eyes alight with something gentle in them, "But you did anyway. Thank you, for this, and for the other day." He was still standing, guard not down, but relaxed enough.

"I'm told a Sheikah blessing is something rare," Nabooru mused with an arched eyebrow, watching the red eyed young man carefully, "Because they are so proud they'd rather die than to accept help from a stranger, a blessing from them is something one should carry with pride."

"I'm not a warrior," The Sheikah pointed out with a risen eyebrow, amused.

"True," Nabooru nodded in agreement, her eyes alight with a strange emotion, "But you're something better."

"Very well," Sheik laughed softly, sliding down onto the soft beddings with the grace of a predator, "Your Gods, My Gods and The Gods be with you. Maktub."

She smiled enigmatically as she bowed almost respectfully, and then disappeared into a flash of orange light.

* * *

"_The question of sexual dominance can exist only in the nightmare of that soul which has armed itself, totally, against the possibility of the changing motion of conquest and surrender, which is love."_

* * *

Link awoke suddenly, aware of the oily fingers tracing paths on his back and how his muscles were slowly going slack under the gentle ministrations. He moaned softly as the pressure became more consistent and the room began to focus to his tired, sleepy eyes.

"Shh," The long fingers massaged his shoulders, melting the tension knots deftly, "It's alright."

"Mmm," Link arched his back slightly, feeling the velvety fabric of the bedding slide against his skin, "What time is it?"

"Early," Sheik's voice was like a diluted drug in his ear, mischievous and purring and promising, like it had been at the fountain, "And Navi went to talk to the Great Fairy and told me to not do anything improper to you while she's gone."

"So of course, you're not," Link mused with a soft moan as the hands pinched again.

"Of course."

Sheik trailed his hands all over him, massaging the muscle until it was slack, from his neck to the sole of his feet, slowly, tenderly. By the time he was done, Link was moaning lowly, arching his back and helplessly wanting something he didn't even know about. But Sheik knew, as he pressed against him, touching him and feeling scorching as their skin touched again. Link shifted, twisted under the Sheikah until Sheik was straddling him and looked up at him through half lidded eyes. Taking in the messy hair, spiked and wild falling over his face, the deeply tanned skin, the mischievous red eyes with the ever present glint of amusement in them, felt the skin hot against his and grinned wryly.

"Of all the places to be with you, Nabooru's quarters didn't make it into the list." The Hero shrugged, then moaned softly at the contact that caused, making the Sheikah shiver, "But then again, our little encounter in the fountain wasn't supposed to happen either."

"Doing what you're supposed to do is boring," Sheik smirked lazily, and started a slow roll on his hips, looming over the complacent Hero as he felt his own arousal spiking up.

Link spread his legs in invitation, accommodating the Sheikah more comfortably as they moved against each other, moaning breathlessly in between kisses. The tension grew as Link clung to him desperately, begging for things he hazily remembered, but couldn't really explain. Sheik forced him back on the soft bedding, red eyes blazing as he touched him, _really_ touched him, forcing a loud cry from the Hylian.

"Please…" And there was such devotion behind that plea that there was no way Sheik could ever say no.

"Goddess," Groaning as he arched forward, red met blue, and in a shocking instant they _knew_.

Knew they were right, what they had was right. It was all the answers of the universe encased in a second, and then, they only knew the pleasure they were giving each other.

* * *

"_Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery."_

* * *

"Do you think they've figured it out?" Nabooru wondered softly, her eyes unusually gentle as she watched the embracing couple, sleeping peacefully.

"We shouldn't be here," Impa gave her a severe look, feeling uncomfortable for intruding in something she felt she had no right over.

"Nonsense," The Gerudo grinned wickedly, nudging her with an elbow, "They're asleep, rightfully so, I just wanted to know what you think."

"Don't you always?" The Sheikah replied with an arched eyebrow, looking at her companion with slight distaste.

"Yes, I do," The Sage of Spirit looked at the Sage of Shadow strangely, head tilted to the side almost regretfully, "Don't I?" And she was gone, angry and content and so damn _frustrated_.

Impa wondered what in the world had she done to deserve the mess she was going through.

* * *

"_Fond memories is all that will remain from our Trail to Destiny."_

* * *

"She doesn't look so well."

Looking up from Epona's saddle, Link shrugged at Sheik's subtle inquiry. The mare looked slightly under the weather, but the Hylian chalked it off to the hot climate of Gerudo Valley and figured a few days of good rest in the ranch would make her feel better. Vlaise neighed softly at her, biting her ear in an attempt to cheer her up, but Epona merely shook her head and looked away.

"Shh," Link patted her neck tenderly, feeling the tension knots in the strong muscles and once more convinced himself it was merely the weather, "C'mon pretty, you'll be back in the ranch and in Malon's care in no time."

"You really like that horse, eh?" Sheik asked after a while, their pace somewhat peaceful as they left the rocky valley behind and entered the field.

"Yeah," He shifted uncomfortably on the saddle, and Sheik hid a smile, "We've been through much together," The Hylian smiled longingly, recalling fond memories, "And she's a good listener, aren't you?" Patting the mare's neck softly, they took off towards the ranch.

"Sentimental git," Sheik laughed as his own horse neighed loudly, catching up with them easily.

They reached it by nightfall, and under the conspiratory looks between former Prince Darien and his young fiancé Malon, the pair of adventurers shared a hay stack near their horses.

* * *

"_Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear."_

* * *

Link was in a gloomy mood. Sheik ground his teeth in a silent plea for peace as the Hylian shifted on the saddle every three seconds, brushing against him as his arms wrapped tightly around the Sheikah's chest. Vlaise neighed unhappily, because he was carrying twice the usual weight, and because he missed the mare that stayed back in the Ranch.

Hyrule Castle appeared in the distance, imposing and beautiful, and Sheik could feel Link tightening his grip on him, hesitating.

"Can't be worse than the first time, right?" The sardonic question made the Hero smile, and he rested his forehead against the back of the Sheikah.

"If I tell you I'm scared out of my wits would you feel disappointed?" It was a small voice, one that belonged to a helpless child facing a midnight horror.

"No," Vlaise slowed down as they prepared to cross the bridge, "But I would if you gave up now," Link smiled, "Particularly after you got me half killed by an _amoeba_ and _then _covered in Anubis innards."

"Selfless, eh?"

But Link was laughing again, and for that, Sheik was content.


	5. Part Five

* * *

"_The beauty of Fate lies in the Unknown. She will play with us, along with us, against us, but never just for us."_

* * *

Seven Sages stood behind Link as he prepared to play the Ocarina before the Door of Time. Sheik was tense, watching from the sidelines as the Hero's hands trembled slightly. It took him a moment to realize how much Link was hating it, the fight, the prophecies, the war. But it made him proud to know despite everything, he kept going. The notes echoed painfully in the large hall, each one of the present flinching as the light blinded them. When they could see again, Link was holding the Ocarina in a loose grip, watching blankly past the altar where the Spiritual Stones were hovering, and into the corridor that led to the Pedestal of Time.

Sheik could tell he honestly didn't want to go further.

They walked into the great hall, and each of the Sages stood on the respective mark around the slumbering sword. Link and Zelda were standing face to face, the holy blade between them. Sheik watched from doorway as the ceremony started. He knew only Impa and he could see the cracking dark energy around the pedestal, sealed with the cleaning light from the sword. How the seal was visibly fading under the strain.

"Ready?" Link called out, voice even despite everything, yet Sheik knew he was weary. The Sages nodded.

He didn't blame him.

As the sword left the pedestal, a wave of evil energy was unleashed, and everyone ended up on the floor. The earth rumbled and the sky darkened as the door to the Sacred Realm opened and Ganondorf stepped through. His eyes glowed red, scorching hatred simply waiting for a chance to escape. The Triforce of Power in his hand, he glared viciously at Link, everything else unimportant.

"You will pay, you insufferable brat," The thundering voice made something within Sheik shudder violently, and he widened his eyes as the gigantic man towered over Link, a long, dark sword in his grasp.

Swinging the Master Sword, Link tried to defend himself, but a hit of Ganondorf's powerful blade sent it out of the Hero's hands. The Sages were too busy fighting the darkness that kept pouring out of the void to help him. Sheik saw the Gerudo raise his weapon over Link, his red eyes wishing for murder.

"Link!"

His voice carried strangely clear in the chaos of the battle, and Ganondorf froze. Whirling around, the King of Evil fixed his eyes on the Sheikah, looking suddenly ill and pale.

"You… you're _dead!_" Link could be mistaken, but it was _fear_ what was turning Ganondorf's voice hysteric, "I saw to it. I made sure of it! I was _there_!"

Sheik dived to the side, dodging a swing of the Gerudo's sword, suddenly terrified beyond any measure.

However, Ganondorf's next attack was halted abruptly as the Triforce began resonating. The marks glowed clearly on Link's and Zelda's hand, but Ganondorf's seemed to be burning him. Sheik felt something stir within him, something that made him step forward and which caused the King of Evil to howl in pain.

"It doesn't matter," Ganondorf was saying, slightly breathless, "Victory will be mine in the end. I killed you once, Sheikah, and I will do it again as many times as it's necessary."

In a flash of Darkness, he was gone, and with him, the remaining Evil that loomed in the Sacred Realm cast forward with him.

"What," Link asked after a moment, as the Sages regrouped themselves, "Has just happened here?"

Silence was his only answer, Sheik was unconscious.

* * *

"_No one keeps a secret like Time, hiding it in the folds of mystery."_

* * *

The Sheikah awoke with a jolt, but Link's face quickly came into view as he held him back, blue eyes worried. Sitting on bed, Sheik quickly noted they were back at the castle, though in a more spacious room than the last time, that the bed was comfortable and that Link seemed to have been sharing it with him.

"What happened?" His voice was raspy as he spoke, and as he cleared his throat, he noted the Hero tensed.

"We're trying to figure that one out," Link shook his head wearily, "For whatever reason, Ganondorf's afraid of you. We need to know why."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sheik snorted, pulling away, "He's the King of Evil, the Triforce of Power is in his hand. What could I possibly do to harm him?"

"We'd like to know that," The Hylian looked at him seriously, "And we're going to find out."

Sheik had the sinking feeling he wasn't going to like what they would find.

* * *

"_Destiny is a path already forged. It doesn't mean, however, that the path will be smooth, or that going through it will be painless."_

* * *

No one could have predicted the attack. Two days after the door to the Sacred Realm had been opened, a literal rain of darkness had fallen on Lon-Lon ranch. Talon, Ingo, Malon and their newest resident, ex-Prince Darien had managed to escape unharmed, but Epona and the other horses had been capture along with the structure. Ganondorf's troops began forming a fortress in the ranch, strengthening its defenses as they took advantage of it's strategical point in the field. A cloud of darkness settled over it at all times, growing more and more as Ganondorf's power did.

From the highest tower in the castle, Link, Zelda, Sheik and the Sages could see it, redoubling their efforts to find whatever connection the Sheikah could have with the Gerudo. They poured over the scrolls at all times, reading anything that could have the slightless trace of relationship, but nothing came out. They knew the Sheikah was a Child of Destiny, they could feel it, but beyond that…

"He's trying to summon the monsters in the Temples," Sheik said suddenly, eyes fixed on the beams of darkness that were going out of the ranch, "He doesn't know we've already sealed them away."

For an instant, everyone looked at the window, the rain of dark energy around Ganondorf's stronghold beautiful in a sordid, forbidden way. The Hero looked at the sordid darkness for a moment, then turned to Sheik, brow furrowed as he plotted something.

"You said the Poe sisters were the rightful Guardians of the Forest Temple, right?" Link asked suddenly, putting down a particularly complex scroll about the Legends around the Goddesses. Sheik nodded, while Saria perked up slightly, "Are there more Guardians?"

"Impa?" Sheik looked over at the older Sheikah woman, his eyes taking a meaningful glint.

"It is said that the very first Sages, seeing the Evil that loomed over the land, created or called for creatures to protect the secrets that were hidden in the Temples. This creatures were bound by sworn alliance to keep the Temples safe, even when the original Sages were gone," The white haired woman frowned, "Four ghosts to protect the Forest, four flaming dancers to keep the Fire going, a Shadow of the intruder to purify the Waters, four chameleons to hide in the Shadows, four armored warriors to worship the Spirit, four birds to bring Light into the world," Shaking her head slightly, she looked at her fellow Sages seriously, "That is how the Legend goes, but I don't know if it can be trusted."

"It is true," Nabooru smiled, closing a book with an air of finality, "The Poe Sister's are the Forest Guardians… and the Iron Knuckles protect my Temple. I know, they obey me."

"So it would mean we could call forth the help of the Guardians?" Saria looked doubtful, not entirely understanding the point, "If so, whatever for?"

A murmur of disagreement broke in the room, some supporting the idea, others not so welcoming of it.

"Ganondorf doesn't know the Temples have been purged successfully," It was Zelda's voice, even and soft, that brought silence to the room again, "If we could call the Temple Guardians to our aid, they could help seal the Temples to his evil influence, thus reducing his power over Hyrule considerably. Also, when the battle starts, they would be of great help against his forces. Before, they were scattered through the land, but now, without access to the Temples, he will attack frontally, as he did so last time, when Hyrule Castle Town fell."

"But we're awake and ready for him this time," Darunia looked imposing, his eyes glowing menacingly, "I will not allow a second wave of darkness to fall over the land, not again."

"In the libraries within the Temple of Light," Rauru looked gravely at them, startling them with the sound of his voice, "There might be some recording of these Guardians you speak about. Perhaps Princess Zelda could come with me, to continue the search in there, while my fellow Sages call forth these Guardians and finish sealing off the Temples to Ganondorf's influence."

"We mustn't allow the Evil King to upset Hyrule again," Ruto looked at them with flashing eyes, indignant and angry, and so arrogant, but with a purpose. _Their_ purpose.

"Then so be it," Zelda nodded. Turning to Link and Sheik, her eyes softened almost unnoticeably, "Please, keep looking for something that would give us a clue on Ganondorf's aversion to you, Sheik, it could be something important."

As the Sages disappeared, leaving Link and Sheik alone in the dusty library, the Sheikah shivered.

"I don't like this," His voice was soft, foretelling, "Not at all."

* * *

"_Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know."_

* * *

"There's nothing," Zelda paced the length of the room anxiously, "Nothing at all."

Link sat on a near by table, polishing the Master Sword as he listened to the Princess fret.

"Perhaps we've just overlooked something," Shrugging a bit, the Hero of Time watched his reflection in the holy blade.

"Or maybe Ganondorf destroyed the scrolls?" Navi suggested as she sat on Link's hap, "It wouldn't be the first time he destroys the clues to what he's plotting."

"It's strange, however, that there are no other records anywhere else," The Princess sat next to Link, admiring the Evil Destroyer Sword almost wistfully, "I wish we knew what's going on… then maybe we could get rid of Ganondorf for good."

"What do you mean?" Meeting the Princess' eyes on the blade's smooth surface, Link frowned.

It had always called his attention that only he, Zelda and Ganondorf could see their reflections in the sword. No matter how much Link polished it, or how close anyone else came to it, it was something no one had ever been able to explain fully.

"Link, Princess," Sheik entered the room without knocking. It looked like he had been running the four flights of stairs between the library and Zelda's private quarters, "Come, Nabooru seems to have found something."

As Link easily slid the sword back into its sheath, he didn't notice the face of the Sheikah reflecting in the neatly polished blade.

* * *

"_Warnings are really challenges in disguise. The man who warns you, is merely trying to test your courage."_

* * *

Ten days after Ganondorf had taken the ranch, he sent a Stalfos to the closed bridge of Hyrule Castle Town, to drop a warning into the waters. The heads of the six guards that had been posted on Lake Hylia, and whose blood tainted the river red. Tension grew when Link recognized the horse the evil skeleton was riding. Not thinking clearly, he threw himself against the enemy.

"Link!"

Sheik spluttered as the Hero took Vlaise and sped after the Stalfos, killing it with a decidedly vicious sword strike. He chased the armored mare through the field, until it came to a stop, turning to face him. Forcing the stallion into an abrupt halt, the Hero walked over to the black armored mare.

"Epona?" Bloodshot eyes met the Hero's, the animal neighing in irritation, rearing on its back quarters menacingly.

"Looking for something, _Hero_?" The mocking voice brought Link back to his senses, as he realized how close they were to the ranch-turned-fortress of evil. Ganondorf, at the gate, sneered at him, "Get back here, useless beast!"

Epona snorted again, then turned and galloped towards the Evil King, submissive.

"Why you-" But Link couldn't say more, as a hand roughly hauled him upwards, behind Sheik.

Ganondorf lost his smile at the sight of the Sheikah.

"Later," Sheik promised, red eyes fixed on the Gerudo, "Later."

And as they galloped back to the castle, Link held onto him tightly, looking back at the ranch with a mix of resentment and longing.

* * *

"_Madness, like good wine, tastes better with sound company."_

* * *

"Link?" Sheik entered the room silently, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

The Castle was empty. The Castle Town was empty. Everyone had been evacuated to Kakariko as a measure to protect them from Ganondorf's wrath, after the incident with the Stalfos and the heads. People from all races were gathering there, creating a stronghold after word of the arrival of an Evil Man appeared. Zora's domain had closed up for a week, then water people started to arrive, carrying sacred water from their fountain to set up a healer's tent. King Zora's very best warriors had presented themselves to the King, who was still not sure of what was going on, and had put them under Link's authority. Which was making the Hero of Time ill with responsibility. To add to it, half of the Gerudos from the Fortress were camping on the base of the stairs to Kakariko, standing as a first line of defense, and with direct orders from Nabooru to kill anything that wasn't peaceful _or_ Hylian ally. And Darunia had sent a group of Gorons with swords from their smiths to help provide weapons for the quickly forming army.

At the moment, Sheik, Link, the King and his private guard were the sole inhabitants of the Castle, as the young Hero still had some details to iron out with the perplexed Monarch.

"Yeah?" The Hero of Time was a dark shape slumped over the double bed they shared, curled and unwilling to face the world again.

"The King wants you to cast a few Nayru's Loves on the main gates before we leave tonight… and you're throwing a tantrum about a horse," Walking over the bed, he saw the Hylian flinch.

"She's not a _horse_," Came the hiss, though Sheik could hear the choked anger in it. Link had been crying about it, and they both knew it. The Sheikah lay in bed and curled behind the Hylian, resting his chin on a shoulder. Link shivered, "Fine, not _just_ a horse. She's Epona, for Farore's sake!"

"I know you're angry," Sheik took a moment to realize he was _not_ good at consoling people, since Link snorted loudly, "Honest, I do, but we need to do something about this, not just… mope around."

"I do not _mope_," The Hylian sniffed disdainfully, ignoring the annoyingly smug smirk he just _knew_ the Sheikah had plastered all over his face, "I _mourn_ my loss."

"The damned thing is enchanted, not dead," Sheik couldn't help to bark a short laugh at Link's attempt to retain his dignity, then yelped slightly when he was elbowed, "Alright, you Queen of Drama! We'll get the damn mare back, even if we have to go and get it from the enemy's quarters, just stop this nonsense."

Sheik knew he had said something wrong when Link turned to face him, blue eyes glinting with something dark and potentially suicidal. The Sheikah narrowed his own into slits.

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask," Link pointed out with a grin, bad mood evaporating easily as he rolled on the Sheikah, pinning him to the bed.

"Doesn't matter," Sheik successfully ignored their closeness, "The answer is no."

"And what if I was about to suggest a less than innocent visit to a water fountain behind Zelda's private quarters?" Link grinned wickedly as Sheik spluttered.

"Wha-?"

"I knew you'd see my way."

"No, wait, I-"

* * *

"_An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men."_

* * *

"-can't believe I've been dragged into this," The Sheikah glared at his companion when he hushed him.

Then merely sighed and followed along. Even if it was a suicide plan. Made by a suicidal Hylian. Followed by a suicidal Sheikah.

Sheik could actually hear Mohair singing her favorite song, '_you incompetent fool are going to die… dieee the most painful way… die, die, die the deadful death!'_, in his subconscious as they made their way around the various guarded post in the outskirts of the ranch. At some point, subconscious Impa joined the choir with things like: '_Yes, that's about eighty Stalfos, yes, they are very deadly with their swords, no you aren't carrying a shield right now. Oh, Dodongos, aren't they cute? They'll roast you as soon as you get close to them. And those are Floormasters, nasty little things…'_

Link looked completely in his element, which made the Sheikah suspicious and weary. The Hylian timed his steps and turns and his _breathing_ to move as sleek as he could through the shadows. Sheik was irritated.

Heroes, particularly Heroes of Time were supposed to be reckless and bold, not cunning and Shadowy.

That was his job, damnit!

* * *

"_Though this be madness, yet there is method in it."_

* * *

"No," And this time, Link actually paused as the Sheikah's whispered voice reached him, "You're _not_ going to play your Ocarina here."

In the stables, the horses were asleep, guarded by two Dinolfos who were also sleeping on the far side of the room. Link was standing in front of the slumbering Epona, the mare still clad in the strange black armor, Ocarina in hand and looking guilty of all charges as Sheik glared at him.

"It might be the only way to break the spell," The Hylian hissed back, matter-of-factly.

"No, it might be the only way to have the whole army on us," Sheik crossed his arms, nodding to the unaware reptiles, "Someone once told me I wouldn't look good roasted, I had hoped he wouldn't try to find out for sure."

"Sheik…"

And then, Sheik knew what hell was like.

Link _pouted_. Of course, he did it unconsciously, but it was _there_. The lower lip very slightly shot out as he held the Ocarina in a loose grip, eyes all but pleading to help him reclaim his mare.

And then, Sheik knew he was insane too.

"Alright," Huffing in defeat, he ignored the grateful look in the blue eyes, "But let all the horses go, who knows what that maniac is going to do when he finds out you reclaimed Epona…"

Link nodded, and both unbuckled the animals, making sure the Dinolfos were still asleep.

"Thank you," The Hero looked at him sincerely, a happy smile in his features, which Sheik pointedly ignored as he looked away.

"For what? Helping you getting us killed?" Link grinned as he placed his lips on the instrument.

And _then_ Hell broke loose on them.

* * *

"_Forgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it"_

* * *

"I'm sorry!"

Sheik was, unsurprisingly, ignoring Link again.

"I'm _sorry_!"

The little fiasco in the ranch had been successful in Link's poorly based opinion, the horses were safely taken to Kakariko, where Malon received them gratefully. But Sheik had a much more realistic view of the world. He knew their insult, because that was what Ganondorf would see it as, would be taken as a challenge, and the attack on the village would come far earlier than expected.

"I _am_ sorry!"

Sheik realized all too late that he was punishing himself along with Link. His irritation with the Hylian was still fresh and burning, but he missed the easy banter and the teasing that always followed them around. No one seemed to notice anything out of the extraordinary was going on, since the whole Village had taken their suicide as an attempt to boost morale.

Which aggravated Sheik something awful, and couldn't the _stupid_ **insane** Hylians see they were going to die with that kind of over confident attitude?

His anger crumbled after a week though, when he finally whirled around, Steel Whip in hand, all furious red eyes and quiet snarl. Link flinched, expecting the verbal attack, but didn't back down.

"If you ever, _ever_ drag me on one of those crazy, suicide, stupidly heroic adventures of yours again," Sheik swung the whip lightly, making it slither in front of him menacingly as he hissed the warning, voice so low Link had to strain to listen to it, "Triad help me, I'm doing Ganondorf and the World a favor and _kill_ you. Possibly using your innards to decorate the Shadow Temple too. Am I clear?"

"Gruesomely," Link shuddered as he nodded, thankful they were on speaking terms again, then grinned that damning half shy, half expectant grin of his, the one that made Sheik melt inside out, "If I make a comment right now you're going to gut me, right?" The Sheikah narrowed his eyes to slits, whip still at hand. Link flinched again, though he was smiling, "I'll just take that as a yes."


	6. Part Six

"_To accept the possibility of Death is to accept the Path of Destiny."_

* * *

Ganondorf's forces became more and more restless as he realized he couldn't control the temples anymore, and as expected, he turned his fury against the empty Castle Town. The King had been safely taken to Death Mountain in secret, and all too late he realized he was no longer in control of the war. Link, Sheik and Zelda were generally viewed as the leaders of the defensive maneuvers, with the Sages coming and going and too busy figuring out prophecies and scrolls about the Guardians and looking for Sheik's relationship with the Evil King, there was no one else who could impose order and prepare things as efficiently.

The Castle and the Market had been burnt to ashes by the Evil forces, only the select few places where Link had helped cast the protective spells remaining. The very next day, everyone knew the full attack on Kakariko was imminent, and the Zora, Gerudo, Hylian and Goron forces began to prepare at best of their capabilities.

Surprisingly, a group of hooded riders arrived at sunset, two days after the Castle had been destroyed, passing the Gerudo camp guarding the stairs to Kakariko with a frightening ease, but without causing harm to the female thieves. They were around twenty, with large and fierce horses they rode with ease.

Yet, before a real fight could start, Sheik received them.

And they bowed to him.

They spoke in a strangely archaic language, soft and controlled, denoting their power with their graceful movements. Their red eyes glowed in the pale moon light, and the crest of the Sheikah became visible once they stepped further into the town, in their clothing and their horses' saddles. Not as spectacular as the one in Sheik's clothes, but still there. They didn't speak Hylian and Sheik sent them down with the Gerudo, to enforce the defenses of the village.

For the first time, Link took a moment to realize that his companion, that sardonic Sheikah who really hated adventuring and enjoyed torturing him was actually a King. A True King, whose people, against all odds, were still alive and still believed in him.

The Hylian didn't know what he felt about that.

After the incident, they returned to Impa's house, which had become their head quarters and their private room. They locked the door, well aware that the Sheikah arrival could mean only one thing, and pointedly set to ignored it.

They undressed each other lovingly, taking care to touch and brush against every inch of skin as they lay together. They made love to each other, without the peacefulness they had archived at the desert or the laziness they had archived in the castle, rather with a touch of desperation adding a bittersweet taste to the experience.

Link woke up as soon as Sheik unwrapped his arms from around him. Turning, he raised his head to meet the Sheikah's lips, and although he received an answer in kind, Sheik pulled back almost regretfully, all too soon in Link's opinion.

"It's time," The soft voice was hardened with determination, something in his very bones telling him things were going to change forever.

"The sun hasn't even risen yet," It was a childish answer, and both knew it, but Link was merely trying to break the solemn look in the Sheikah's eyes.

And he was hoping for at least two more hours of sleep, too.

"Zelda said the Sages would arrive sometime after sunrise with the Guardians," Link watched him as he got dressed, noting something different and eerily serious in the Sheikah's movements, "We must be ready for them."

In the past weeks, Link had gotten used to seeing Sheik get in and out of his clothes, and he could safely bet he could do the intricate play of cloth around the mask and under the shirt's collar if things came to it. That day, however, the routine changed. As Link finally got around to dressing himself, Sheik knelt on the bed and took out a small clay bottle from his bag, apparently out of nowhere. Inside, there was a black liquid that smelled strangely of… well, the best Link could say to describe it was Shadow. Strangely feeling like an intruder, the Hylian watched as the Sheikah dipped his fingers into the mixture, then traced a delicate line over and below his right eye, the one that was always uncovered by his hair. He drew three triangles over it, over his lid and stopping just below his eyebrow. Dipping his fingers again on the paint, he trailed it downwards, forming a tear shaped mark under his eye.

Not looking at Link, he sighed softly.

"_And then, Din realized Farore's Race of Light was imperfect, thus she created a Race of Shadow, so that in their imperfections, they would perfect each other instead. She gave them eyes to see the truth as Farore had given her Race of Light ears to listen to the Divine Word. Eyes that would see the Gods in the sky, eyes that could cry the fallen ones. Eyes that would see the Light where there was none. And when this was done, the Race of Light and the Race of Shadow lived together, one devoted to hear the Hymns from the Heavens, one devoted to see the Glory of the Gods,"_ Looking up at Link, Sheik smiled, "This is the Legend of our Origin, passed down by the Sheikah Royal Family. It's the reason my people pledged to serve yours, because we must complement each other, that was the Goddess will."

"It's a beautiful Legend," The Hero said with a sincere smile, placing his hands on Sheik's shoulders as he stood up, "Thank you."

The Sheikah nodded solemnly as they finished preparing.

"It was my pleasure."

* * *

"_Nothing is so wretched or foolish as to anticipate misfortunes. What madness is it to be expecting evil before it comes."_

* * *

The first rays of the sun revealed the two armies settled to fight.

One was made out almost exclusively of monsters: Lizalfos, Dinolfos, Stalfos, Dodongos, Floormasters, Armos, Gohmas, Beamos, Blue and Red Tektites… every cruel creature in the land was there, forming a wall of claws, fangs and poison. They outnumbered their opponents almost ten to one.

The other was a mix of races, a tight line of Gerudos at the front, the Sheikah standing between every ten women. Behind them, Emali with the Gorons were resting, not wanting to waste any unnecessary energy. The Hylian troops, both Royal Soldiers and volunteers, were a mass of nerves, impatiently waiting for a sign to start the attack. Zoras were lining on the river, behind them all, concentrating to form an electrified field that would protect the entrance to the village from the attackers.

Later on, no one would be able to tell who attacked first, but after the first arrow flew, it all was chaos. War cries were issued as all the carefully laid out plans and strategies were discarded in the last second. Link and Sheik were standing among the Gorons as the Monsters fell upon them, mounting their horses as the stallion and the mare neighed nervously.

"Play with me," Sheik said softly, taking out his harp, "Maybe they will help."

Link knew the song, hated it vehemently, but knew it well.

Ocarina and Harp echoed in the battlefield, and for a second, the attacks halted when a rumbling that came from everywhere and nowhere enveloped the fight, and then, the laughter. Link shivered violently as the maniac laughter erupted from the earth itself.

There were hundreds of them. Poes of all sizes, colors and shapes. Some smiling, some glaring, some blankly staring ahead. But all of them where there to help. They swirled around with their lanterns, attacking the monsters as they formed a thick line between Hylians, Gerudos and Ganondorf's monsters. Some were destroyed, but not captured, and after a moment, they reappeared, eyes glowing.

"Go ahead and find Him," Sheik looked at Link seriously, taking out his whip, "I'll wait for the Sages and keep the Poes in line."

"But-"

"_Go_, Din damnit!"

Forcing himself to not look back, even when he heard the powerful whip swirling, Link galloped as fast as Epona would allow, by passing the line of enemies, killing anything that stood in his way with the practiced ease his travels had given him.

He dearly hoped it wouldn't be the last time he saw Sheik, then made a firm vow to _ensure_ it wasn't.

* * *

"_Only Losers know about glorious victory, because those who win the war, are the only ones who remain to see the desolation of a bloodied battlefield. A true victorious warrior will mourn his victory with more despair than if he had been defeated."_

* * *

Sheik was a bloodied mess surrounded by the corpses of many monsters by the time the Sages arrived. Their army wasn't better off. At least twenty Gerudos were dead, some Gorons and a good half of the Hylians. The Zora were exhausted, bravely keeping the barrier up against the enemy, but everyone could see they wouldn't last long.

And then, there was light and the sound of a lively Ocarina, and the Guardians appeared even if the Sages were away in their lone chamber. The Poe Sisters, the Flame Dancers, the Water Shadow, the Sheikah Chameleons, the Iron Knuckles, the Light Owls. They carried the strength of the Sages and helped the faltering Hylian troops as the balance tilted to their favor again.

"Sheik!" The disembodied voice startled the Sheikah as he tried to hold onto Vlaise's reigns. Blinking, he realized the voice belonged to Zelda, "Sheik, I can't explain, just go, find Link, he needs you there!"

"But-"

"_Hurry up!_"

Wincing at the order, the Sheikah nudged his stallion towards the ranch. He passed through the disorientated band of monsters somewhat easily, surprised to see the inner ring almost empty. There was, however, a shield of dark energy in the center, where the sound of clashing metal could be heard. Dismounting, he walked towards it and for precaution threw a rock at it.

Vlaise neighed in disapproval as it became dust. Sheik looked at the stallion almost apologically.

"Suggestions welcome," Tentatively approaching the barrier, the sounds of the fight became clearer, Link's muffled voice against Ganondorf's.

"It can't harm you," Zelda's voice echoed around him, a ghostly whisper to his ears only, "I can't sit and explain now, but we've figured it out, just… have faith."

The Sheikah stared at the barrier darkly for a moment.

"Have faith," He repeated the words as he took a deep breath, "Easy to say when you're somewhat an immortal Sage and not about to commit potential suicide," He blinked, then groaned, "Din damn it, now I _act_ like him," Another deep breath, "Right, faith… I have faith I will not end up dead, yes… I-"

Vlaise pushed him with his head into the barrier, extracting a strangled squeak from the surprised Sheikah.

Which turned into a gasp as he realized he had fallen at the very center of the _real_ battlefield. Link and Ganondorf, swords at hand, were standing before each other, Triforce marks glowing in their hands. Link then jumped forward, attacking with a yell as Ganondorf twisted his sword to block the attack. It was a tiring fight, since their power seemed to be balanced. Snarling at Link, the King of Evil pulled back, enraged, then showed the Triforce mark on his hand, creating a wave of dark energy as it blew the Hero backwards.

"Link!"

Ganondorf whirled around, his eyes glowing red. Link stumbled back onto his feet, holding the Master Sword in a loose grip as he tried to clear his vision. Sheik reached behind him to grab his whip, although he wasn't sure it would be of much help in his situation.

"It's too late, Sheikah," The Evil King was saying, closing on him like a predator, Link was desperately trying to aim a Light Arrow, but he was seeing double, and he didn't risk to hit Sheik in his confusion, "It's _mine_. It's always been mine."

Sheik whirled the whip with a bit of magic in a maneuver he had been practicing ever since the fight with Twinrova. Ganondorf caught his wrist, the gigantic man smiling nastily as he tightened his grip almost to the point of crushing. Gasping, the red eyed young man refused to cry out, instead glaring as he was dangled helplessly by the irate Gerudo.

"Can you see It?" The Triforce mark in Ganondorf's hand glowed as he spoke, his eyes madly filled with bloodlust, "It calls to you, doesn't It? But It's mine now, and It will always be mi-"

Sheik fell to the ground, wincing, then looked up to see Ganondorf whirling around to face Link. The Sheikah wished he hadn't done so, wished he hadn't seen the four Light arrows firmly planted in his back, where blood was oozing slowly. He wished he could stop staring.

Ganondorf roared something Sheik couldn't quite understand, and in a moment, he felt himself taken somewhere else. The last he saw from the battle was Link swinging the Master Sword with all his might, and then, a sort of light from within whisked him away.

* * *

"_Destiny. A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure."_

* * *

"Go now, please, Her Highness is ill, you shouldn't-"

_I know that voice_.

"She will never be ill enough to refuse me."

_Ganondorf?_

Sheik found himself standing inside a tent, a Sheikah tent. He looked around, confused, wondering how he had ended up there, when the voices grew louder, coming closer to where he was.

"I understand you're hasty, but please," The first man entered the tent, walking backwards and trying to stop the Gerudo from getting further inside.

Sheik knew him rather well.

"I say I'll see her, and I will!" Ganondorf hadn't changed much, he was still taller than anyone the Sheikah had ever seen before, but he looked younger, vicious, but not yet truly evil.

"And I insist you won't," The Sheikah hardened his voice, standing tall as he glared at the Gerudo from behind his blond bangs, a large Sheikah crest adoring his clothing.

_Father._

"Oh, stop this nonsense, Yahir," A rusty voice came from the back of the tent, where an old woman was lying on her side, the Eye of Truth painted on the right side of her face.

_Queen Eriden._

Sheik watched mesmerized as his father bowed respectfully to the Dying Queen. Sheikah lived much longer than Hylians, well past their first century. He knew, Mohair had made sure of it, that the late Queen Eriden had been one of the oldest of their race. And that she had died mysteriously, the very same day that his father had.

Now he had a fairly good idea of why.

"I could tell you what you want to hear, Gerudo," The Queen smiled cynically, "But it would not be the Truth."

"Bah," Ganondorf snorted impatiently, "Sheikah and your stupid obsession with the truth."

"The Truth, Thief King," Eriden said imperiously, her voice turning hollow, "Is that whatever I tell you, will be the last thing I'll say. Do you think I don't know of your alliance with Dorian? Whole tribes are disappearing, completely wiped away by that childish, arrogant fool and you think I'm ignorant to the fact it's your influence that makes it so?" She smirked in a way that reminded Sheik acutely of Mohair, "But I'll tell you, because you need to know."

Ganondorf sat down on a pillow, amber eyes narrowed as the Sheikah adjusted herself more comfortably. She was wearing a long and wide purple tunic, and Sheik would bet there were at least a dozen throwing knives hidden in the cloth. Such was the Sheikah way.

"Every generation," Eriden started solemnly, looking at the ceiling as if she were reading the Legend from there, "Three are born with hearts pure. Each is blessed by the one of the Three, becoming a messenger of one of Them. The Children of this Era have been born. A child of Royalty will serve Nayru. A child of the Forest will serve Farore. A child of Shadow will serve Din. You know what will happen when you touch the Relic, if you wish to retain It, the Blessed Children must die or the Triforce will simply go back to the owner designed by Destiny."

"You know who I'll kill first," Ganondorf looked smug, his eyes glinting wickedly, "Yet you tell me this, why?"

"Maktub."

Sheik felt something pulling within him, the same blinding sensation from before, and the last thing he saw, was the Evil King laughing wickedly over the ashes of the camp.

* * *

"_Destiny has two ways of crushing us -- by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them."_

* * *

Sheik blinked rapidly, adjusting to the dim light again. Link snarled as he pushed his sword against Ganondorf's forcefully. The Sheikah realized he was still sitting on the floor, right where the Evil King had dropped him.

"Sheik?" Zelda's voice again, clearer, stronger.

The Sheikah narrowed his eyes as he stood up shakily.

"I know," He replied as he held his whip tightly, "I know."

Ganondorf snarled as the first hit came. Distracted, he didn't see the Light Arrow flying directly to his chest, and howled in pain as he became an easy target for Link's sword. The Triforce regenerated him fast, but not as fast as the Sword was harming him. Sheik cracked his whip endlessly. A darker part of him enjoying the sound of it striking flesh.

The Evil King stood abruptly, snarling as he caught Sheik's whip with his bare hand, blood spilling as he did. Before he could attack, a ray of Light was thrown against him, pushing him away.

"Thief!" Zelda cried as she appeared within the barrier, the Triforce of Wisdom glowing in her hand, "Sheik!"

Ganondorf snarled trying to use the Triforce of Power to transform, but it burnt him instead. Resonating with Link's and Zelda's, the holy Triangle started to blur. Suddenly, a ray of light shot upwards, high into the sky, the King of Evil howling in agony as his source of Power was torn away from him.

"Six Sages, now!" Holding her hands above her head, Zelda called forth her power as well as the other Sages, but for a completely different reason than before.

They weren't going to seal him away, now that the Triforce of Power had left him. Instead, they were dissolving his soul back into the elements, scattering the Evil within him back into the world, where it would be less harmful.

Inside the whirlpool of colors, Ganondorf shrieked as he was torn from the inside out, then disappeared as an expansive wave of energy was released. As it expanded, the monsters the Hylians and their allies were fighting disintegrated to dust, leaving the exhausted warriors standing alone between the remains of the fight. Their cheers rose almost at once.

Link sat up from where he had been thrown away, and saw the Sheikah unconscious a few meters away.

He had the sinking feeling something was up and no one had bothered to tell him about it.

* * *

"_Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings."_

* * *

"Hey," Sheik blinked uneasily, groaning softly as he snuggled under the covers, "Have the decency to look at me when I'm about to rant," Looking up, the Sheikah fixed his eyes on Link's amused ones. The Hylian was grinning mischievously, "That's better. How do you feel?"

"Like I went and did something so stupidly heroic it would make you proud," Came the raspy answer as Link helped him sit up.

"Close," The Hero was laughing quietly as he guided Sheik to lean against him, "Ganondorf is dead," Sheik decided Link was evil. He shouldn't be allowed to pet him like that and live, it made his mind murky and too relaxed for his tastes. All he could feel was warmth, fingers running through his hair, a hand soothingly tracing his spine.

"Is that a good thing?" He wondered out loud, not really coherent.

"Yes," Link laughed again, and the slight rumbling made Sheik feel the need to purr, "It's generally regarded as something good."

"Ah."

"You know," Sheik didn't know how he had ended up curled around Link, sleepily resting his head on the Hylian's chest, "Your damned Poe made a racket yesterday. Scared the hell out of the whole royal guard."

"She's not mine," Link snorted.

"You could very well get her a dog tag and call her pet," The Hylian yelped as he was pinched, "Alright, alright, I'll drop it."

"Hn," Yawning, Sheik screw his eyes against the bright light coming from the window, "Did I sleep long?"

"Er…"

"Link?"

"You were out four days, Sheik," Link looked seriously at the startled Sheikah, nodding, "Zelda said it was because you were adjusting."

"Adjusting to what?" Sitting back, Sheik noted he wasn't wearing his cloths, but rather a lush red robe, he frowned, "What's going on?"

"Look at your hand," Link shook his head, reaching for the Sheikah's right hand and showing him the back.

Sheik groaned loudly as he saw the Triforce mark in it.

"Fate hates me so fucking much."

Link laughed sheepishly in return.

* * *

"_Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom."_

* * *

The Hero of Time was having entirely too much fun at his Lover's expense.

Sheik had ended more aggravated at the turns of events than Link had expected. It amused him how much the Sheikah could fret about the mark, how it would _not_ go away.

"If you stopped thinking about it, it'd disappear," Link grinned as he showed his own hand, clearly unmarked.

"It doesn't matter if you can't see it," Sheik sat down in bed, near whining, "I can _feel_ it there."

"Calm down," For once the mature one in the situation, Link wrapped his arms around the agitated Sheikah, "You'll get used to it."

"I have the Triforce of Power in my hand and you tell me I'll get used to it?"

Link grinned teasingly.

"Yes, I got used to your damned Poe, your stupid need to be up at dawn, the goddamn song you hum day and night, your lack of logic regarding Temples and death traps and most importantly, the fact you hog the covers and leave me to freeze my ass off every night," He arched his eyebrows as Sheik narrowed his eyes, "I think it's safe to assume you'll learn to live with a little mark on your hand."

"Oh shut _up_," Leaning against the Hylian's chest, the Sheikah snorted, "I shouldn't have left the desert in the first place, then, I wouldn't be in this big of a mess."

"Trust me, the mess hasn't even started," Link grimaced lightly, "Malon figured out what was wrong with Epona."

"I'm having an identity crisis here and you bring the damn horse into the conversation?"

"That's because she's pregnant."

"Din _damn_ it."

* * *

"_Don't tell me peace has broken out."_

* * *

Peace was… disturbing, so to speak.

It wasn't as much annoying as it was boring, but it was slowly grinding Sheik's nerves to dust. Also, when there wasn't an imminent threat hanging over the world, people forgot to live their own lives and decided instead to go and mess with someone else's. Which was aggravating and annoying, since _everyone_ wanted to know _everything_ about the Heroes that had defeated Ganondorf.

Even if they didn't quite know who Ganondorf was.

To top it all, they couldn't _leave_ the castle, because the King was going through a slight patch up with Zelda and demanding answers onto why his authority had been so blatantly overlooked through the whole ordeal. And Zelda was twitching and trying to get things in order to make him _see_ why things had had to go that way.

Of course, it wasn't like they could _stop_ them if they really wanted to leave, with the whole '_They hold the Gods Power in their hands'_ and all that, but Link was being a prat and he wanted to solve things out the 'right' way.

And Sheik wouldn't go anywhere without him, so he was basically, tragically and pathetically, _stuck._

The other reason they couldn't leave yet, was that the ranch had to be rebuilt, and Link had taken a keen interest in helping with that. Malon, her fiancé, her father and that cranky man that worked with them were all living in Kakariko, waiting as the whole structure was rebuilt again. All the redhead did each day, was to fuss over Epona and her growing belly, and Vlaise and his tendency to escape to the fields every once in a while.

Someone, Sheik suspected, had a fixation about marriage.

"Here, stop scowling," Looking up, the Sheikah saw his lover offering him a mug of ale, "Your face is going to get fixed that way."

"Sorry, mother," Came the dry reply, but he accepted the offered drink anyway, "Are they still fighting?"

"Like wild animals," Sighing, the Hero sat next to his lover, looking down from their window to the busy market, "They look happy."

"They better be," Sheik snorted as he took a sip from his drink, unconsciously glaring at his right hand, then, he looked up at Link, tilting his head to the side, "Aren't you?"

"I hate being caged," Link shrugged, "I don't know, I had hoped we… I mean, if you wanted to, that maybe we could go somewhere else. Monotony is driving me insane."

"I know," Playfully jabbing his shoulder, Sheik smirked, "I feel the same."

They shared a soft laugh, then set to look down at the market and its people again. Silence stretched, a comfortable one, which allowed them to sink back into their thoughts, without losing that feeling of each other being _there_.

"You know," Sheik smiled as Link tried to sound casual, though his curiosity could be heard a mile away, "I've been meaning to ask..."

"Yes?"

"What did Nabooru mean with the blessing thing?" Link tilted his head to the side, looking strangely like a cat when he did so, "Why did you say you weren't a warrior?"

"Because I'm not," Shrugging, Sheik fixed his eyes in the distance, "I was not trained to kill."

"Well, with all due respect," Link snorted, "I think you are. One of the best around."

"No Link," Sheik smiled thinly, "I was trained to survive. The riders that came to help us, the day of Ganondorf's attack, those were warriors. They live under an extremely hard code of conduct, and are not allow many liberties. I'm just… a survivor. I wasn't even supposed to become King," There was a certain disdain in his voice, "I was the youngest and my father hadn't even been crowned yet. There was no point in training me to live a miserable life if there was no need."

"Miserable?" Link echoed the word strangely, as if were recalling something.

"Sheikah warriors cannot show their faces to anyone, not even to one another. They must live in small groups, isolated from everyone, so they are not tainted by the ideals of others. They exist merely to fight the wars of others as they are instructed," Sheik closed his eyes for a moment, "They generally would die than accept help from someone else."

"That _is_ a miserable existence," Link agreed after a moment, shuddering slightly, "Must be lonely."

"I don't know, I'm not exactly sociable, remember?" Smiling wryly, Sheik shrugged.

He rarely wore his mask anymore, although the lower half of his face remained hidden behind the collar of his shirt, he generally pulled it down when he was around Link. But not because he was expecting to get kissed or something, of course.

"Let's leave," Link said suddenly, blue eyes strangely serious.

"What?"

"Let's leave!" Standing up, the Hero pulled the Sheikah to his feet, "C'mon, they can't tell us what to do, let's get our things packed, get Epona and Vlaise and just… leave. Navi doesn't care where we go as long as we let her sleep peacefully, and Amy will follow you to the end of the world, let's leave Sheik, please."

* * *

"_Who dares nothing, needs hope for nothing."_

* * *

"This is terribly romantic."

Impa rolled her eyes and made a short prayer to the Triad to grant her patience. Glancing at her companion, she shook her head.

"It's not supposed to be," The Sheikah snorted, "_Romantic_."

"I know, I know," Nabooru grinned, balancing precariously on the edge, and making Impa repress the need to pull her back, "But still. I think it's cute."

"You think a pack of Wolfos eating is cute," The Sage of Shadow replied dryly, looking at the Gerudo as if she had gone insane.

"Oh, hush you," Elbowing her companion to be quiet, she watched as the Hylian and the Sheikah jumped the window and landed on the soft grass silently.

The Sage of Shadow and the Sage of Spirit watched the couple slither away past the tight security of the castle, watching them start a trail towards Kakariko.

"Do you think they'll come back?" Nabooru tilted her head to the side, smiling widely.

"Maybe," Impa shrugged, "Who knows where the wind will take them?"

"I hope they're happy," Sounding sincere, the Sage of Spirit turned to her companion, looking at the taller woman somewhat thoughtfully.

"They'll be," Impa smiled, "Maktub."

* * *

"_An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered."_

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Malon looked from Link to Sheik back and forth, then sighed, "Of course you're sure, I'm sorry I-" Link was startled as he was hugged fiercely, "Good luck." Malon raised to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly.

Then she walked over to Sheik and did the same, leaving them both slightly flushed. Epona and Vlaise neighed softly as they pawed the ground with their hooves, excited.

"Remember, Epona's due in about eight months, alright? You'll need to stop and settle down for a while and don't strain her!"

Nodding to Malon's requests as they mounted, Sheik and Link shared a look as they began walking towards Death Mountain and whatever existed behind it. The redhead watched them disappeared into the rocky slopes, just as the first rays of a new day broke through. A word came to her lips, even though she didn't know it or its meaning. However, it seemed fitting, and she said it as a prayer when she couldn't see them anymore.

"Maktub."

* * *

_"May You Live in Interesting Times."_

* * *

_(A/N) There, all done. Took me seven days to finish this, but I think it was worth it. Don't worry if some of the quotes don't make sense to you, they make sense to Random and that's all I care about. Not to underestimate you, but this _is _his birthday present. He's priority right now._

_Maktub. This a very conflicting Arabic word. I personally adore it, because of what it means, which cannot be translated to any other language fully. It's something along the lines of "It has been written", but it's terribly poetic and lovely._

_The authors of the quotes, by order of appearance:_

- _Rieka De-Volka. Extract from a project novel._

- _William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright._

- _Johann Friedrich Von Schiller (1759-1805) German dramatist, poet and historian._

- _William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright._

- _Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British politician and author._

- _Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-Swiss-U.S. scientist._

- _Albert Camus (1913-1960) French novelist, essayist and dramatist._

- _Francis Bacon (1561-1626) British statesman and philosopher._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Lord Byron (1788-1824) British poet._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American philosopher and author._

- _William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British politician and author._

- _Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-65) Roman philosopher and playwright._

- _Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French moralist._

- _Johann Friedrich Von Schiller (1759-1805) German dramatist, poet and historian._

- _Simone Weil (1910-1943) French Philosopher._

- _Arabian Proverb._

- _Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924) American author and founder of Success magazine._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Epictetus (50-120) Greek philosopher._

- _Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist._

- _Confucius (BC 551-BC 479) Chinese philosopher._

- _Buddhist Proverb._

- _Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul._

- _Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) British clergyman and author._

- _William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright._

- _Albert Camus (1913-1960) French novelist, essayist and dramatist._

- _Jane Austen (1775-1817) English novelist, author of "Sense and Sensibility"._

- _Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul._

- _Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist._

- _Mark Twain (1835-1910) U.S. humorist, writer, and lecturer._

- _Ovid (BC 43-AD 18) Roman poet._

- _Anatole France (1844-1924) French writer._

- _Fernando Sánchez Dragó (1936 -?) Spanish novelist and literature critic._

- _Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) German theologian, philosopher, and physician._

- _Arabic Proverb._

- _Samurai Proverb._

- _C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish author and scholar._

- _Samuel Butler (1612-1680) British poet and satirist._

- _Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist._

- _Ovid (BC 43-AD 18) Roman poet._

- _Greek Proverb._

- _Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) Spanish novelist, dramatist and poet._

- _Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1895) Scottish essayist, poet and novelist._

- _George Herbert (1593-1632) British poet._

- _Mae West (1892-1980) American actress and playwright._

- _Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) British writer._

- _Jean de la Bruyère (1645-1696) French satiric moralist._

- _James Baldwin (1924-1987) African-American writer._

- _Victor Hugo (1802-1885) French poet, dramatist and novelist._

- _Fernando Sánchez Dragó (1936 -?) Spanish novelist and literature critic._

- _Mark Twain (1835-1910) U.S. humorist, writer, and lecturer._

- _Mayan Proverb._

- _Rieka De-Volka. Extract from a project novel._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Adolph Hitler (1889–1945) German dictator, politician_

- _Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) Spanish novelist, dramatist and poet._

- _Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) British clergyman and author._

- _William Shakespeare (1564-1616) British poet and playwright._

- _Unknown._

- _Roman Proverb._

- _Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-65) Roman philosopher and playwright._

- _Samurai Precept._

- _Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer._

- _Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821-1881) Swiss writer._

- _Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) German playwright, founder of the Berliner Ensemble._

- _Johann Friedrich Von Schiller (1759-1805) German dramatist, poet and historian._

- _Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) British journalist, novelist and poet._

- _Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968) U.S. politician._

_**Review, for the sake of anything that's holy, review.**_


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